
[Federal Register: May 7, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 89)]
[Notices]               
[Page 25794]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07my08-135]                         


[[Page 25794]]

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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. IC-28260; 812-13496]

 
The RBB Fund, Inc. and Abundance Technologies, Inc.; Notice of 
Application

April 30, 2008.
AGENCY: Securities and Exchange Commission (``Commission'').

ACTION: Notice of application to amend a prior order under section 
12(d)(1)(J) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (``Act'') granting an 
exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act and under 
sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act granting an exemption from section 
17(a) of the Act.

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Summary of Application: Applicants request an order (``Amended Order'') 
that would amend a prior order that permits certain series of a 
registered open-end management investment company advised by Abundance 
Technologies, Inc. (the ``Funds of Funds'') to acquire shares of other 
registered open-end management investment companies and unit investment 
trusts (``UITs'') (collectively, the ``Underlying Funds'') that are 
outside the same group of investment companies as the Funds of Funds 
(``Prior Order'').\1\ The Amended Order would amend a condition of the 
Prior Order to permit Funds of Funds to invest in Underlying Funds that 
serve as feeder funds in a master-feeder structure in reliance on 
section 12(d)(1)(E) of the Act.
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    \1\ The RBB Fund, Inc. and Abundance Technologies, Inc., 
Investment Company Act Release Nos. 27749 (Mar. 8, 2007) (notice) 
and 27775 (Apr. 3, 2007) (order).

Applicants: The RBB Fund, Inc. (the ``Company'') and Abundance 
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Technologies, Inc. (the ``Adviser'').

Filing Dates: The application was filed on February 7, 2008. Applicants 
have agreed to file an amendment during the notice period, the 
substance of which is reflected in this notice.

Hearing or Notification of Hearing: An order granting the application 
will be issued unless the Commission orders a hearing. Interested 
persons may request a hearing by writing to the Commission's Secretary 
and serving applicants with a copy of the request, personally or by 
mail. Hearing requests should be received by the Commission by 5:30 
p.m. on May 27, 2008, and should be accompanied by proof of service on 
applicants, in the form of an affidavit, or for lawyers, a certificate 
of service. Hearing requests should state the nature of the writer's 
interest, the reason for the request, and the issues contested. Persons 
who wish to be notified of a hearing may request notification by 
writing to the Commission's Secretary.

ADDRESSES: Secretary, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-1090; Applicants, The RBB Fund, Inc., 
103 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19809 and Abundance Technologies, 
Inc., 3700 Park 42 Drive, Suite 105A, Cincinnati, OH 42141.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean E. Minarick, Senior Counsel, at 
(202) 551-6811, or Janet M. Grossnickle, Branch Chief, at (202) 551-
6821 (Division of Investment Management, Office of Investment Company 
Regulation).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a summary of the 
application. The complete application may be obtained for a fee at the 
Public Reference Desk, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F 
Street, NE., Washington DC 20549-1520 (telephone (202) 551-5850).

Applicants' Representations

    1. On April 3, 2007, the Commission issued the Prior Order to the 
Company, a registered open-end management investment company, and the 
Adviser, a registered investment adviser, under section 12(d)(1)(J) of 
the Act granting an exemption from sections 12(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the 
Act and under sections 6(c) and 17(b) of the Act granting an exemption 
from section 17(a) of the Act. The Prior Order permits the Funds of 
Funds to acquire shares of Underlying Funds that are not part of the 
same ``group of investment companies'' as defined in section 
12(d)(1)(G)(ii) of the Act as the Funds of Funds (the ``Underlying 
Funds'') and the Underlying Funds to sell such shares to the Funds of 
Funds.\2\
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    \2\ All Funds of Funds that currently intend to rely on the 
Amended Order are named as applicants. Any other investment company 
that relies on the Amended Order in the future will comply with the 
terms and conditions of the Amended Order.
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    2. Condition 12 in the Prior Order provides that an Underlying Fund 
will not acquire securities of any investment company or company 
relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the Act in excess of the 
limits contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the Act, subject to certain 
exceptions relating to reorganizations of portfolio companies, cash 
management and interfund lending. Applicants seek to modify condition 
12 to permit the Funds of Funds to acquire shares of Underlying Funds 
that operate as feeder funds in a master-feeder structure in reliance 
on section 12(d)(1)(E) of the Act and are in the same ``group of 
investment companies'' as their corresponding master funds. Applicants 
argue that a master-feeder arrangement would not result in an overly 
complex structure because it is entirely transparent. Applicants submit 
that an investment in an Underlying Fund that operates as a feeder fund 
would be no different than investing in one that does not use a master-
feeder arrangement.

Applicants' Condition

    Applicants agree that any order granting the requested relief will 
be subject to the conditions in the Prior Order except that Condition 
12 of the Prior Order will be modified to read as follows:
    12. No Underlying Fund will acquire securities of any other 
investment company or company relying on section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of 
the Act in excess of the limits contained in section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 
Act, except to the extent that such Underlying Fund: (a) Acquires such 
securities in compliance with section 12(d)(1)(E) of the Act; (b) 
receives securities of another investment company as a dividend or as a 
result of a plan of reorganization of a company (other than a plan 
devised for the purpose of evading section 12(d)(1) of the Act); or (c) 
acquires (or is deemed to have acquired) securities of another 
investment company pursuant to exemptive relief from the Commission 
permitting such Underlying Fund to: (i) Acquire securities of one or 
more investment companies for short-term cash management purposes, or 
(ii) engage in interfund borrowing and lending transactions.

    For the Commission, by the Division of Investment Management, 
pursuant to delegated authority.
Florence E. Harmon,
Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E8-10015 Filed 5-6-08; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 8010-01-P
