Registration Right

Registration Right

The right of a holder of a restricted security to have his/her security registered with the SEC on demand. A restricted security is a stock or right one acquires through some means other than the open market. One may receive a restricted security through a merger or acquisition, private placement prior to an IPO, or sometimes through a stock option. Perhaps most importantly, it is not registered with the SEC and thus may not be sold publicly until registration has been made. The registration right protects holders from the risk that they will be forced to retain a security that they do not want and that may become detrimental to their investment goals.