452 S.W.2d 531
Blue Sky L. Rep. P 70,862
(Cite as: 452 S.W.2d 531)
KOSCOT INTERPLANETARY, INC.,
Appellant,
v.
William M. KING, Securities Commissioner
of the State of Texas, Appellee.[FN1]
FN1. See Koscot Interplanetary, Inc.
v. Blackwell, 446 S.W.2d 364,
Tex.Civ.App., Austin (1969).
No. 11741.
Court of Civil Appeals of Texas,
Austin.
March 11, 1970.
Rehearing Denied April 1, 1970.
HUGHES, Justice.
Koscot Interplanetary, Inc., appellant, filed
suit in the court below against William M.
King, Securities Commissioner of the State of
Texas, such suit being in the nature of an
appeal from a cease and desist order issued by
the Commissioner[FN2] respecting the use of
unregistered marketing plans by Koscot. The
basis of the order was in selling and offering
to sell these plans Koscot was selling and
offering to sell a 'security' as defined by Art.
581--4, subd. A, V.T.C.S., without registration
as required by Art. 581--7, id.
FN2. Sec. 27, Art. 581--27, V.T.C.S.
The Commissioner, declining to agree with
Koscot that only certain portions of the
definition of a 'security' could be applicable to
this case insists that the question presented
here is whether Koscot's marketing plans are
within the defining statute. For this reason,
we quote the entire statutory definition of
'security' as contained in Art. 581--4, subd. A:
'A. The term 'security' or 'securities' shall
include any share, stock, treasury *532
stock, stock certificate under a voting trust
agreement, collateral trust certificate,
equipment trust certificate, preorganization
certificate or receipt, subscription or
reorganization certificate, note, bond,
debenture, mortgage certificate or other
evidence of indebtedness, any form of
commercial paper, certificate in or under a
profit sharing or participation agreement,
certificate or any instrument representing
any interest in or under an oil, gas or mining
lease, fee or title, or any certificate or
instrument representing or secured by an
interest in any or all of the capital, property,
assets, profits or earnings of any company,
investment contract, or any other instrument
commonly known as a security, whether
similar to those herein referred to or not.
Provided, however, that this definition shall
not apply to any insurance policy,
endowment policy, annuity contract,
optional annuity contract, or any contract or
agreement in relation to and in consequence
of any such policy or contract, issued by an
insurance company subject to the
supervision or control of the Board of
Insurance Commissioners when the form of
such policy or contract has been duly filed
with the Board as now or hereafter required
by law.'
Koscot has two plans, the old and the new.
The 'old' plan was in use prior to June 1969
when the 'new' plan was put into effect. These
plans are essentially multi-level marketing
programs for a cosmetic line produced by
Koscot.
The basic facts in this case are not in dispute
and the Commissioner has accepted Koscot's
analysis of the 'old' and 'new' plans, which
analysis we adopt.
Under Koscot's 'old' plan, a person could
become a beauty advisor by paying $10.00 to
a Koscot distributor, for which she would
receive a 'starter kit' containing samples of
Koscot products with a total retail value of
$35.50; or, she could purchase a more
complete sampling of Koscot products, in a
much more elaborate display kit, known as
the 'professional Koscot kit,' for $45.00, the
total retail value of the kit and its contents
being $112.00. The sole function of the
beauty advisor was to sell Koscot products at
retail. She received a bonus of $100.00 for
each Supervisor that she was responsible for
recruiting into her sponsor's organization.
That bonus was paid to her by her sponsor.
The Beauty Advisor had to complete a course
of retail training provided for her by her
Director. She was expected to service her
customers every month, had to maintain a
record of all of her customers and sales and
submit a copy of her records to her sponsor.
The Beauty Advisor received her products
directly from her sponsor, buying the product
at 35% Off of its recommended retail price.
There were also provisions for refund bonuses
based on the Beauty Advisor's total retail
volume during each month.
The second level of Koscot's distribution
system, under the old plan, was that of 'Co-ordinator,' who was otherwise known as a
'Retail Manager.' Persons became Co-ordinators by purchasing a 'display pack' of
Koscot products for $98.48 and by paying an
entrance fee of $25.00 (totaling $123.48).
The display pack contained a very broad
sampling of Koscot products, with a total
retail value of $151.50. The Co-ordinator's
functions were both retailing Koscot products
and also recruiting Beauty Advisors and other
distributors into the Koscot distribution
system. The Co-ordinator had to complete a
course of training which emphasized both the
retail and wholesale aspects of Koscot. The
Co-ordinator's main function was recruiting
Beauty Advisors and supplying them with
Koscot products for sale. The Co-ordinator
purchased her products directly from her
sponsor at a 35% Discount off of the
recommended retail price. Her profits on
retail sales consisted of the retail markup for
those products she sold directly to consumers,
and of refund bonuses based on her total
monthly purchases, which would provide her
a profit differential on selling the *533
products to her Beauty Advisors, if her several
Beauty Advisors had sufficient purchase
volume each month. The Co-ordinator also
earned a $25.00 finder's fee each time she
sponsored a new Co-ordinator. She also
received a finder's fee of $200.00 each time
she sponsored a Supervisor into the Koscot
distribution system. These finder's fees were
paid directly by the Co-ordinator's immediate
sponsor.
The third position under the old plan was that
of Supervisor. Persons became Supervisors in
one of three ways. The first method was by
paying $2,000.00, for which the Supervisor
received $2,500.00 worth of Koscot
cosmetics, at their retail value, plus sales aids,
and thorough training for himself in
wholesaling Koscot cosmetics, plus extensive
training for a woman manager of his choice to
handle the retailing of Koscot cosmetics in his
organization.
The second method for becoming a
Supervisor was by purchasing for resale a
total of $2,500.00 in retail value of Koscot
cosmetics (while being a Beauty Advisor or
Co-ordinator), plus then sending $800.00 to
Koscot Interplanetary, Inc. to cover payment
of finder's fees for his sponsor, and training
for himself and a woman manager of his
choice. This method was known as the 'work
in' method since it was used by Koscot
retailers who had attained sufficient retail
volume to become wholesalers; and the third
method for becoming a Supervisor was a
combination of the buy in and work in
methods. The Supervisor was considered a
Supervisor of a group of Co-ordinators and
Beauty Advisors, and his main functions were
to recruit and train his distributors, provide
his group with merchandise, and assist his
organization in increasing the quality of their
service to the consumer. The Supervisor was
required to acquire necessary business
licenses, retail tax permits and, to collect sales
taxes based on retail prices. He was required
to maintain an adequate inventory of Koscot
products for resale to his Co-ordinators and
Beauty Advisors. The Supervisor purchased
Koscot products from his Director, at a 55%
Discount from the recommended retail price
for the products, and he sold those products at
a 35% Discount off of recommended retail
price, to his Co-ordinators and Beauty
Advisors. The Supervisor also received a
finder's fee of $500.00 directly from Koscot
Interplanetary, Inc., upon selling a
Supervisor's order (with a payment of
$2,000.00 for $2,500.00 in retail value of
products, etc.) to an incoming Supervisor.
The Supervisor could also receive a finder's
fee of $25.00 for each Co-ordinator that he
sponsored into the Koscot distribution system.
Under the old plan, a person could not begin
as a 'Director' in the Koscot distribution
system. He had to first become a Supervisor
(for which he would have paid $2,000.00 and
received $2,500.00 in retail value of Koscot
products, etc.). Further, since he would be
taking all of his Co-ordinators and Beauty
Advisors with him when he became a
Director, it was necessary that he replace
himself with a new Supervisor, to work under
his Director, prior to his leaving the
organization and setting up his own Director's
organization. Further, since Directors
purchased Koscot's products from Koscot at a
65% Discount off of the recommended retail
price, and since he sold those products to his
Supervisors at a 55% Discount, and since the
sponsoring Director would lose that 10%
Differential if his Supervisor left his
organization and established a new
directorship, the Director-to-be was required
to pay a release fee of $2,500.00 to his
Director once he had decided to establish his
own directorship. Further, it was necessary
that the would-be Director complete retail and
wholesale training within sixty days of his
advance to the Director's position. Also, to
become a Director, he had to receive official
written approval of his application from
Koscot. The Director was responsible for
business and cosmetic training meetings for
his entire organization. He was responsible
for supplying his Co-ordinators and Beauty
Advisors, and if he did not have Supervisors
under him, he *534 was required to obtain any
necessary business licenses and retail tax
permits, and he collected sales taxes based on
the retail value of products being sold by his
Co-ordinators and Beauty Advisors. Like the
Supervisor, the Director was supposed to have
a woman manager trained to handle the retail
portion of his organization. He also used his
woman manager to train Beauty Advisors and
Co-ordinators in his organization. He was
responsible for retail volume refund bonuses
paid to persons in his organization. The
Director's income was based on a price
differential in connection with the sale of
Koscot products, which he was purchasing at
a 65% Discount off of the recommended retail
price, and which he sold to his Supervisors at
a 55% Discount, or in case he had Beauty
Advisors or Co- ordinators working directly
under him, rather than for his Supervisor, he
would sell the cosmetics at a 35% Discount
off of the recommended retail price. The
Director also received a finder's fee of $25.00
for each Co-ordinator that he sponsored into
the Koscot distribution system; and a finder's
fee of $500.00 for each Supervisor he
sponsored into the Koscot distribution system;
and when any of his Supervisors decided to
leave his organization to set up another
Director's organization, the sponsoring
Director would also receive the $2,500.00
release fee. In addition, under the old plan,
the Director continued to earn 2% Of the
retail volume of the entire organization
controlled by each of his Supervisors who
became a Director. The Director even under
the old plan could not receive any income
from any other organization of distributors,
where he had not initially brought the
Supervisor up through his own organization
prior to having the Supervisor set up his own
directorship and distributors organization.
Under the 'new' plan of marketing, the Koscot
distribution system works as follows. Again,
a person may become a Beauty Advisor by
paying $10.00 for a 'starter kit' containing
Koscot products, and having a retail value of
$36.00; or she may choose to purchase a
'professional kit' for $45.00, which kit and its
contents of Koscot products, has a retail value
of $112.50. Again, the Beauty Advisor's function is the retail of Koscot products. She
is required to complete a course of retail
training provided by her Director and she is
expected to service her customers every
month and maintain a record of all of her
customers and sales and submit copies of her
records to her sponsor. Now, however, she
purchases Koscot products at a 40% Discount
(rather than a 35% Discount) off of the
recommended retail price. She is no longer
encouraged, even by nominal finder's fees, to
recruit persons into the Koscot distribution
system. Thus, the $100.00 bonus for
recruiting Supervisors is deleted.
The Co-ordinator level is not present in the
new plan, and the second level of distribution
is now the Supervisor level. Again there are
three methods for becoming a Supervisor.
The first method involves the payment of
$2,000.00 by the would-be Supervisor, for
which he receives $1,500.00 worth of retail
value of Koscot cosmetics and $500.00 in
retail value of hair fashions, plus membership
in a related credit card corporation, thorough
training for himself and training for a retail
manager of his choice to handle the retail
aspects of his organization. Secondly, a
person may become a Supervisor by the 'work
in' method by purchasing for resale a total of
$5,400.00 in cosmetics from his sponsor over
a six-calendar month period. It then becomes
his personal responsibility to train a retail
manager of his own choice. Thirdly, persons
may combine the 'work in' and 'buy in'
methods, such as in the case where a Beauty
Advisor has sold close to $5,400.00 worth of
Koscot cosmetics in less than six months, and
she chooses to make up the remainder of the
$5,400.00 by a lump sum purchase, in order to
become a Supervisor. Again, the Supervisor
is considered a Supervisor of a group of
Beauty Advisors. The Supervisor's position
combines wholesale and retail selling. His function is to recruit and adequately train
*535 his Beauty Advisors, provide his group
with merchandise and assist his organization
in increasing the quality of their service to the
consumer. He must train his organization in
business procedures and supply them with
products as he receives orders. The
Supervisor must acquire business licenses and
retail tax permits, and he collects sales taxes
on retail value of products sold by his
organization. The Supervisor purchases his
product directly from his Director at a 55%
Discount off of its recommended retail value,
and since he sells the product to his Beauty
Advisors at a 40% Discount off of retail, his
profits are in the differential between his
purchase price and his sales price. The
Supervisor also receives commissions for
selling a new Supervisor's order (which is in
the amount of $2,000.00), and his commission
of 25% On that sale amounts to $500.00. The
phraseology of finder's fee used in the old
plan, and commission, used in the new plan,
is irrelevant, since the fact is that the
Supervisor has sold a significant amount of
Koscot products for a significant price, and
his payment is related to that sale, made by
him.
Under the new plan, as in the old, a person
may not begin as a Director. He is required to
have been a Supervisor prior to becoming a
Director. Also as in the old plan, before
leaving his Director's organization, a
Supervisor must sell at least one new
Supervisor's order for his Director before
leaving his organization and establishing his
own independent distributorship organization.
Unlike in the old plan, however, once the
Supervisor is otherwise qualified, he does not
pay a $2,500.00 release fee to his Director,
but rather is required to purchase an
additional $3,000.00 in retail value of Koscot
inventory, from his Director, for the sum of
$3,000.00. Thus, a would-be Supervisor has
paid $2,000.00 for $2,000.00 worth of retail
value of Koscot product (instead of receiving
$2,500.00 in retail value of such product, as in
the old plan), but he has paid $3,000.00 on
becoming a Director and has now received
$3,000.00 in retail value of Koscot product
(rather than merely paying a release fee to
release himself from his Director's
organization, as in the old plan.) Of course,
the would-be Director, as in the old plan, must
complete retail and business training within
sixty days after becoming a Director. Unlike
in the old plan, a Director does not continue
to receive 2% Of the retail sales volume of his
former Supervisors who have become
independent Directors with their own
organizations. The Director's responsibilities
are very similar to those under the old plan,
and include responsibility for training himself,
and for handling business and cosmetic
training meetings for his organization. The
Director may sell at wholesale or retail, but he
is responsibile for supplying his Supervisors,
and any Beauty Advisors in his organization
who do not have Supervisors. The Director is
the only person, under the new plan, who
receives his product directly from Koscot.
Since the Director purchases at a 65%
Discount off of the recommended retail price
of Koscot cosmetics, and since he sells those
products to his Supervisors at a 55%
Discount, he earns the differential between
those two prices on sales to his Supervisor,
and he earns the differential between his 65%
Discount purchase price, and the 40%
Discount purchase price on sales to his Beauty
Advisors, where no Supervisor is directing
their activities. Also, the Director receives
the same special commission for selling a new
Supervisor order of $2,000.00, namely a 25%
Commission or $500.00. There is also a 'work
in' method for becoming a Director, where the
Supervisor has sold $16,800.00 in retail
purchase volume of Koscot products.
In commenting on the above analysis, the
Commissioner states that it is not clear that
under the old plan the sole function of the
Beauty Advisor was to sell Koscot products at
retail since the Beauty Advisor receives
$100.00 for each 'Buy-in' Supervisor she
procures. Also, in commenting on the 'new'
plan, the Commissioner points out that once a
Supervisor decides to move to *536 Director
he does not pay a $2,500.00 release fee to his
Director but is required to purchase an
additional $3,000.00 of Koscot products at
retail price and must create a new Supervisor's
order for Koscot products, after which Koscot
sends the Director of the organization from
which the Supervisor advanced 65% Of the
$3,000.00 purchase. The Supervisor in order
to advance to Director buys the additional
required inventory without any product
purchase discount.
The Commissioner also directs attention to
the 'extremely important fact' that every
person who becomes a distributor of Koscot
under the 'old' or 'new' plan has the
opportunity of recruiting and enrolling new
distributors, and that the plans to recruit and
enroll new distributors were devised,
introduced and implemented in whole, or in
part, by Koscot. This portion of the two plans
is called the 'wholesale' operation and is to be
distinguished from the sale of Koscot
products at retail prices to the ultimate
consumer. This latter, or 'retail' operation is
unaffected by this suit.
Trial to the court culminated in a judgment
decreeing that the sale and offer for sale of
'Director,' 'Supervisor' and 'Co-ordinator'
distributorships under the multilevel referral
sales plans of Koscot was a sale and offer for
sale of a 'security' within the meaning of Art.
581--4, subd. A, and that such sales and offers
for sale should cease and desist until such
time as Koscot complied with the Securities
Act with reference thereto. Excluded from
the judgment were sales made at retail and the
recruitment of Beauty Advisors to sell at
retail.
The trial judge filed findings of fact. After
finding that Koscot had not complied with the
Securities Act, he found that the plans being
sold or offered for sale by Koscot were based
on written manuals and oral representations;
that persons investing in these plans were able
to sell Koscot products at retail as well as to
sell distributorships; that persons investing in
a distributorship were led to expect that they
had the opportunity to realize large profits
through the efforts of others, the amount to be
earned being largely under the control of
Koscot who must approve those who invest in
distributorships; that Koscot can change its
plans at any time without notice to investors;
that the principal attraction to prospective-investors in these plans is the large profits to
be expected through the sale of
distributorships; that Koscot represents and
encourages the belief that the selling of
distributorships is to be accomplished through
the efforts of others with a minimal amount of
effort to be exerted by the individual investor;
that the success of Koscot lies in the
promotion of these plans rather than in the
selling of its products at retail; that the right
to receive income or profits from the sale of
distributorships under these plans rather than
the right to sell products at retail is the
principal reason a person invests in Koscot;
and, that Koscot obtains working capital
through the sale of distributorships.
Many witnesses testified. The details of the
two plans and their actual operations were
explained. Without exploring the testimony
of these witnesses minutely, it is fair to say
that they reflect a belief on the part of some
who were involved in the business that huge
profits were to be made by expansion of the
programs through the sale of distributorships
rather than through the retail sale of Koscot
products. In fact, some witnesses testified
that they never expected to sell at retail.
We cannot find, however, in any of the
testimony or in the documentary evidence any
suggestion that solely through the money
invested under the plans could profits be
expected. The prospective purchasers were
repeatedly told that only those who were
ambitious and willing to work could succeed.
In truth, the Commissioner states that he 'does
not contend that the schemes involved herein
lead people to believe that they can realize
profits solely from the efforts of a third party.
This is a hybrid case, therefore, as far as the
*537 legal authorities in the United States are
concerned. In this case, the investor can
realize profits from his own efforts as well as
from the efforts of third parties.'
Koscot's first twenty-nine points are briefed
together. In various ways these points present
the primary question of whether its marketing
plans are a 'security' as defined in Art. 581--4
subd. A. Examining this article, we are
convinced that only the words 'certificate in or
under a profit sharing or participation
agreement' and 'any certificate or instrument
representing or secured by any * * *
investment contract, or any other instrument
commonly known as a security, whether
similar to those herein referred to or not,' have
any conceivable application to this case.
In Securities and Exch. Com. v. W. J. Howey
Co., 328 U.S. 293, 66 S.Ct. 1100, 90 L.Ed.
1244 (1946), the Court construed a Federal
Statute defining securities, in part, as any
"certificate of interest or participation in any
profit-sharing agreement' 'investment contract'
and 'in general, any interest or instrument
commonly known as a 'security" * * *.' Under
the facts of that case, the Court held that the
meaning to be given the term 'investment
contract' was determinative. It gave this
meaning to that term:
'An investment contract thus came to mean
a contract or scheme for 'the placing of
capital or laying out of money in a way
intended to secure income or profit from its
employment.' State v. Gopher Tire &
Rubber Co., 146 Minn. 52, 56, 177 N.W.
937, 938. This definition was uniformly
applied by state courts to a variety of
situations where individuals were led to
invest money in a common enterprise with
the expectation that they would earn a profit
solely through the efforts of the promoter or
of some one other than themselves. * * *
In other words, an investment contract for
purposes of the Securities Act means a
contract, transaction or scheme whereby a
person invests his money in a common
enterprise and is led to expect profits solely
from the efforts of the promoter or a third
party, it being immaterial whether the
shares in the enterprise are evidenced by
formal certificates or by nominal interests in
the physical assets employed in the
enterprise. * * * The investors provide the
capital and share in the earnings and profits;
the promoters manage, control and operate
the enterprise. * * * The test is whether the
scheme involves an investment of money in
a common enterprise with profits to come
solely from the efforts of others. If that test
be satisfied, it is immaterial whether the
enterprise is speculative or non-speculative
or whether there is a sale of property with or
without intrinsic value.'
Howey was followed recently by the circuit
court, Ninth Circuit, in Chapman v. Rudd
Paint & Varnish Company, 409 F.2d 635
(1969). In that case it was held that a
distributorship agreement was not a security
under federal law because it did not provide
that the distributor would obtain his profits
solely from the efforts of others. We quote
from that opinion:
'The brochure, on the basis of which
plaintiff was attracted to Rudd and its
distributorship plan, and on the basis of
which plaintiff made an initial five thousand
dollar deposit, provides the only background
factor of substance to be considered in this
case. The brochure contains statements
which seem to minimize the amount of
effort which a distributor must exert, and
maximize that which Rudd would
contribute. Moreover, the brochure makes
reference to terms which would be as
appropriate in an investment contract as in
an ordinary distributorship agreement.
In addition, the brochure contains profit
projections allegedly based on market tests
and sales data, places emphasis on the past
record, success and potential of Rudd, and
makes reference *538 to the assistance to be
rendered the investor by that company. The
brochure describes the distributorship as a
'Turn-Key' operation into which the investor
merely steps, whereupon he is immediately
involved in '* * * a substantial and
profitable undertaking with a minimum
obligation on his time or resources.' It
enthusiastically describes Run-Guard as a
revolutionary 'self-serving' product.
On the other hand, the very fact that the
brochure emphasizes the amount of
assistance the company will provide implies
that the distributor is also to contribute an
effort. The brochure contains no financial
data on Rudd, nor any balance sheet figures
or information concerning the company's
past earnings record. Read in its entirety,
the brochure is not a prospectus pertaining
to a security, but rather an outline of a
distributorship program relating to a product
to be marketed by the distributor, through
his own efforts, at retail and wholesale out-lets within his designated territory.'
State courts, too, have followed Howey.
In Emery v. So-Soft of Ohio, Inc., 199 N.E.2d
120, Court of Appeals, Ohio (1964) it was
held that a referral agreement whereby seller
of water conditioner agreed to pay buyers
$100.00 for each name furnished by buyer
which resulted in sale of a water conditioner
was not a security, the Court saying:
'We are in complete accord with the trial
court's ruling that the distinguishing feature
between the referral agreement and a
security under the Ohio Securities Act is
that any profit or return to a party based on
the referral agreement in question must
result from the personal efforts of the party
receiving the profit or return, that if the
party executing such agreement does
nothing and fails to perform the services
called for by the terms of the agreement, he
receives nothing, and that if the party
performs the obligations imposed upon him,
he is entitled to be compensated in the same
manner as provided by employment
contracts or commission-type agreements,
whereas a security has in contemplation
complete reliance upon the effort of the
seller for any return to the purchaser.
The plaintiffs were required to earn the
promised remuneration contained in the
agreement. Therefore, it is our belief that
the referral agreement in the instant case is
not a security under the provisions of
Sections 1707.01 to 1707.99, Revised
Code.'
A similar holding was made in
Commonwealth ex rel. Pennsylvania
Securities Commission v. Consumers
Research Consultants, 414 Pa. 253, 199 A.2d
428, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (1964).
The statutory definition of 'Security' in
Pennsylvania contained the phrases,
'investment contract' and 'in or under a profit
sharing or participation agreement.' A
purchaser of an appliance was promised
$100.00 for each lead furnished by him
resulting in a sale. The Court held that this
was not an investment contract, citing Howey.
In Gallion v. Alabama Market Centers, Inc.,
282 Ala. 679, 213 So.2d 841 (1968), a statute
defining a 'Security' contained the phrases,
'Certificate of interest or participation in any
profit sharing agreement' and 'investment
contract' was held not to cover founder's
contracts under which commissions received
by supervisors and distributors depended upon
their own efforts and not the efforts of others,
the Court citing and relying upon Howey in
holding that the arrangement was not an
'investment contract.'
Howey is literally followed in Blackwell v.
Bentsen, 203 F.2d 690, Fifth Circuit, cert.
dism. 347 U.S. 925, 74 S.Ct. 528, 98 L.Ed.
1078 (1953). There 20 acre tracts were sold
and contemporaneous contracts were
executed between the parties whereby the
seller agreed to plant and manage citrus trees
on the land, the buyer to realize *539 certain
profits. This was held to be an 'investment
contract,' the Court saying,
'This is not an ordinary purchase of land as
such. It is an investment for the purpose of
producing an income through the activities of
others than the owner.' If no management
contracts were made, then the Court said the
mere purchase of the land would not
constitute an 'investment contract.'
The Commissioner cites Tcherepnin v.
Knight, 389 U.S. 332, 88 S.Ct . 548, 19
L.Ed.2d 564 (1967) as indicating that the
Supreme Court will have a change of heart
and relax its holding in Howey where, as he
contends here, policy considerations are
overwhelming. We do not see how this case
can help the Commissioner. The Circuit
Court refused to apply the test laid down in
Howey for determining what is an 'investment
contract.' The Supreme Court held this was
error, applied the Howey test, and reversed
the case.
The Commissioner cites two cases which
decline to follow the decision in Howey,
Florida Discount Centers, Inc. v. Antinori, 226
So.2d 693, District Court of Appeal of
Florida, 2nd District, (1969) and State of
Hawaii v. Hawaii Market Center, Inc., Circuit
Court of the First Circuit, State of Hawaii
(1969). The Florida decision was by a divided
court and review has been granted by the
Supreme Court of Florida. The Hawaii
decision was by a trial court and cited the
Florida decision in Antinori.
The status of these two cases is not such as to
make them authoritative.
Koscot has cited as an additional supporting
authority, Georgia Market Centers, Inc. v.
Fortson, 171 S.E.2d 620, Supreme Court of
Georgia (December, 1969). This case has not
been officially reported and is not available to
us.
[1] We do not underestimate the difficulty of
the Commissioner in policing all of the 'get
rich quick schemes' which the fertile mind of
man can invent. The problem is that his
authority is prescribed by law. Not all 'get
rich quick schemes' are a 'security.' We
believe that the governing law has been
settled by the decisions of courts of last resort
which have been cited. We find no over-powering reason to disregard these decisions
and innovate as the lower courts in Florida
and Hawaii have done.
[2] It is our opinion that the marketing plans
of Koscot do not fall within the definition of
'Security' prescribed by Art. 581--4A, for the
reason that the investors in such plans do not
depend solely upon the efforts of others for
income and profit.
Other points made by Koscot need not be
determined.
The judgment of the trial court is reversed
and judgment is here rendered vacating the
cease and desist order issued by the
Commissioner against Koscot.
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