EX-99.77E LEGAL 3 tch_77e806.txt LEGAL PROCEEDINGS NAME OF REGISTRANT: Templeton China World Fund File No. 811-07876 EXHIBIT ITEM No. 77(e): Legal Proceedings As part of various investigations by a number of federal, state, and foreign regulators and governmental entities, relating to certain practices in the mutual fund industry, including late trading, market timing and marketing support payments to securities dealers who sell fund shares, Franklin Resources, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company"), entered into settlements with certain of those regulators. Specifically, the Company entered into settlements with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") concerning market timing (the "August 2, 2004 SEC Order") and marketing support payments to securities dealers who sell fund shares (the "December 13, 2004 SEC Order") and with the California Attorney General's Office ("CAGO") concerning marketing support payments to securities dealers who sell fund shares (the "CAGO Settlement"). Under the terms of the settlements with the SEC and the CAGO, the Company retained an Independent Distribution Consultant ("IDC") to develop separate plans for distribution of the respective settlement monies. The CAGO approved the distribution plan pertaining to the distribution of the monies owed under the CAGO settlement agreement, and in March 2005, the disbursement of monies to the relevant funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of that settlement was completed. The Fund did not participate in the CAGO Settlement. On June 23, 2006, the SEC approved the IDC's proposed plan of distribution arising from the December 13, 2004 SEC Order and disbursement of the settlement monies to the designated funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of the SEC's order and the plan was completed in September 2006. The Fund did not participate in the December 13, 2004 SEC Order. The IDC has also completed a proposed Plan of Distribution under the August 2, 2004 SEC Order resolving the SEC's market timing investigation and has submitted that plan to the SEC staff, where it is under review. The SEC has announced the following expected schedule with respect to the market timing Plan of Distribution. The SEC anticipates that Notice of the Plan will be published on or after November 15, 2006. After publication and comment, the proposed Distribution Plan will be submitted to the SEC for approval. When the SEC approves the proposed Distribution Plan, with modification as appropriate, distributions will begin pursuant to that Plan. In addition, the Company, as well as most of the mutual funds within Franklin Templeton Investments and certain current or former officers, directors, and/or employees, have been named in private lawsuits (styled as shareholder class actions, or as derivative actions on behalf of either the named funds or Franklin Resources, Inc.) relating to the industry practices referenced above, as well as to allegedly excessive advisory fees, commissions, and/or 12b-1 fees. The lawsuits were filed in different courts throughout the country. Many of those suits are now pending in a multi-district litigation in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. The Company and fund management strongly believe that the claims made in each of the private lawsuits referenced above are without merit and intend to defend against them vigorously. The Company cannot predict with certainty the eventual outcome of these lawsuits, nor whether they will have a material negative impact on the Company. If it is determined that the Company bears responsibility for any unlawful or inappropriate conduct that caused losses to the Fund, it is committed to making the Fund or its shareholders whole, as appropriate.