Energy Metro Desk Editor John Sodergreen described the emerging debate over the CFTC's proposed Regulation Automated Trading ("Reg. AT"), particularly over the issue of proposed access to source code without a subpoena. In his column, "Drums along the Potomac," Mr. Sodergreen asserted that access to source code is necessary because it allows the CFTC to "nail bad guys" in the markets.

In response to complaints that the CFTC is "overreaching in its quest for market safety and soundness," Mr. Sodergreen emphasized the necessity of the proposed level of surveillance:

Algo source code is in fact a record . . . of your intent to trade. If the algo commands it, intent is inherent. And so, records must be kept.

Click here to view an excerpt from the most recent issue of Energy Metro Desk, which is published biweekly by Scudder Publishing Group, an energy trade news publishing company based in Washington, D.C.

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