2012 US Code
Title 15 - Commerce and Trade
Chapter 2A - SECURITIES AND TRUST INDENTURES (§§ 77a - 77bbbb)
Subchapter I - DOMESTIC SECURITIES (§§ 77a - 77aa)
Section 77q - Fraudulent interstate transactions

It shall be unlawful for any person in the offer or sale of any securities (including security-based swaps) or any security-based swap agreement (as defined in section 78c(a)(78) ¹ of this title) by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by use of the mails, directly or indirectly—

(1) to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud, or

(2) to obtain money or property by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or

(3) to engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the purchaser.

It shall be unlawful for any person, by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by the use of the mails, to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any notice, circular, advertisement, newspaper, article, letter, investment service, or communication which, though not purporting to offer a security for sale, describes such security for a consideration received or to be received, directly or indirectly, from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, without fully disclosing the receipt, whether past or prospective, of such consideration and the amount thereof.

The exemptions provided in section 77c of this title shall not apply to the provisions of this section.

The authority of the Commission under this section with respect to security-based swap agreements (as defined in section 78c(a)(78) of this title) shall be subject to the restrictions and limitations of section 77b–1(b) of this title.

(May 27, 1933, ch. 38, title I, §17, 48 Stat. 84; Aug. 10, 1954, ch. 667, title I, §10, 68 Stat. 686; Pub. L. 106–554, §1(a)(5) [title III, §302(b), (c)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–452; Pub. L. 111–203, title VII, §762(c)(2), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1759.)

Unless otherwise provided, amendment by subtitle B (§§761–774) of title VII of Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the later of 360 days after July 21, 2010, or, to the extent a provision of subtitle B requires a rulemaking, not less than 60 days after publication of the final rule or regulation implementing such provision of subtitle B, see 2010 Amendment notes and Effective Date of 2010 Amendment note below.

Section 78c(a)(78) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “section 3(a)(78) of the Securities Exchange Act”, and was translated as meaning section 3(a)(78) of act June 6, 1934, ch. 404, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–203, §762(c)(2)(A), in introductory provisions, inserted “(including security-based swaps)” after “securities” and substituted “(as defined in section 78c(a)(78) of this title)” for “(as defined in section 206B of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–203, §762(c)(2)(B), substituted “78c(a)(78) of this title” for “206B of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act”.

2000—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106–554, §1(a)(5) [title III, §302(b)], amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “It shall be unlawful for any person in the offer or sale of any securities by the use of any means or instruments of transportation or communication in interstate commerce or by the use of the mails, directly or indirectly—

“(1) to employ any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud, or

“(2) to obtain money or property by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or

“(3) to engage in any transaction, practice, or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon the purchaser.”

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–554, §1(a)(5) [title III, §302(c)], added subsec. (d).

1954—Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 10, 1954, inserted “offer or” before “sale” in introductory text.

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective on the later of 360 days after July 21, 2010, or, to the extent a provision of subtitle B (§§761–774) of title VII of Pub. L. 111–203 requires a rulemaking, not less than 60 days after publication of the final rule or regulation implementing such provision of subtitle B, see section 774 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as a note under section 77b of this title.

Amendment by act Aug. 10, 1954, effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 1954, see note under section 77b of this title.

¹ See References in Text note below.