An economist’s assessment of Noland and the criteria used to assess a pyramid scheme, by Jovanovic and Bozzone

This is an excellent article prepared by Branko Jovanovic and Lia Bozzone, two economists at The Brattle Group. I’m sharing it in full, with permission. ————– While the direct selling world was awaiting U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn’s decision in Federal Trade Commission v. Neora LLC, in which the FTC alleged that Neora operated an […]

Crypto and Network Marketing: A legal impossibility

It’s time to state the obvious: Crypto + MLM = Legally Impossible. I’m not suggesting that “crypto” is bad. On the contrary, I think crypto provides exciting opportunities for all sorts of yet-to-be-discovered innovations. There are plenty of reasons for people to be distrustful and concerned with traditional finance. Crypto provides people with an interesting […]

The FTC Should Not Be Trusted – Letter to 3 Members of Congress

I wrote a letter to my representatives in Congress in August of 2021. See below for the contents. The letter was sent to clearly oppose the FTC’s efforts to expand their power via Congress. This is how a democracy works…the agencies seek consent from the governed by way of our elected leaders. I made my […]

You Can Be Right, or You Can Be Happy

If you’re married, you’ve undoubtedly heard the sage, old advice: “You can be right, or you can be happy.” The premise is simple: when in a disagreement with your spouse, it’s probably best not to argue EVEN IF you have him/her dead to rights. If you have concrete proof that dispels your spouse of all […]

FTC: The Empire Tries to Strike Back

In the first Star Wars, the evil empire reveals its master plan of subjugating the galaxy with its awesome weapon: the Death Star. We all know how it ends, Luke Skywalker, against all odds, blows it up. 1 shot…in some sort of vent, triggers a chain reaction that destroys the entire thing. Needless to say, […]

Unanimous Decision: FTC loses in Supreme Court decision

In a unanimous Supreme Court decision, the Supreme Court has held, “Section 13(b) does not authorize the Commission to seek, or a court to award, equitable monetary relief such as restitution or disgorgement.” Translated into English: The FTC has been abusing its power for decades. It’s a devastating blow to the FTC’s credibility. To recap: […]