Except for information filed as an exhibit which is covered by Rule 12b-32 (17 CFR 240.12b-32), information may be incorporated by reference in answer, or partial answer, to any item of a registration statement or report subject to the following provisions:

Financial statements incorporated by reference shall satisfy the requirements of the form or report in which they are incorporated. Financial statements or other financial data required to be given in comparative form for two or more fiscal years or periods shall not be incorporated by reference unless the material incorporated by reference includes the entire period for which the comparative data is given;

Information in any part of the registration statement or report may be incorporated by reference in answer, or partial answer, to any other item of the registration statement or report; and

Copies of any information or financial statement incorporated into a registration statement or report by reference, or copies of the pertinent pages of the document containing such information or statement, shall be filed as an exhibit to the statement or report, except that:

A proxy or information statement incorporated by reference in response to Part III of Form 10-K (17 CFR 249.310);

A form of prospectus filed pursuant to 17 CFR 230.424(b) incorporated by reference in response to Item 1 of Form 8-A (17 CFR 249.208a); and

Information filed on Form 8-K (17 CFR 249.308) need not be filed as an exhibit.

Any incorporation by reference of matter pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of § 229.10(d) of this chapter restricting incorporation by reference of documents that incorporate by reference other information. Material incorporated by reference shall be clearly identified in the reference by page, paragraph, and caption or otherwise. Where only certain pages of a document are incorporated by reference and filed as an exhibit, the document from which the material is taken shall be clearly identified in the reference. An express statement that the specified matter is incorporated by reference shall be made at the particular place in the statement or report where the information is required. Matter shall not be incorporated by reference in any case where such incorporation would render the statement or report incomplete, unclear or confusing.