Let's say I invest a large sum of money into stocks for the gun industry. Assuming I have no other affiliation with anyone in the gun industry, I do not work for a gun manufacturing company and I have no other interests outside of personal financial gain. Would I be allowed to go around and generate hype to encourage people to buy guns? An example might be going on local news and talking about new gun legislation in the works, or something to that effect.
1 Answer
An example might be going on local news and talking about new gun legislation in the works, or something to that effect.
Sure, you can do that. The nightly news is really nothing more than self-anointed pundits and self-proclaimed experts running their mouths with little factual evidence. It's called Free Speech™.
Take a look at http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/libel-vs-slander-different-types-defamation.html before you send out press releases or speak on the news.
Just don't defame anyone or anything (except possibly celebrities or politicians). LSE: Is lying about a candidate protected speech in the United States?
And be aware of what real stock and financial fraud involves. LSE: Could investors plot to trade shares of a company in an attempt to raise its stock valuation?
answered Apr 8, 2016 at 15:50
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Thanks. Guess I should see if Free Speech is really ™'d by someone :) Could get me in trouble.... Commented Apr 8, 2016 at 15:58
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1@BlueDogRanch, a quick search of the USPTO database shows ten trademarks, three of them still active. Fortunately, as long as you aren't using it to describe backpacks, text-to-speech converters, or microphones, you're fine.– MarkCommented Apr 8, 2016 at 23:57
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Ha, that's interesting; I should have checked USPTO out of curiosity... Commented Apr 10, 2016 at 3:04