The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has accused the Obama campaign in Indiana of unlawfully obtaining and making unauthorized use of a proprietary media list belonging to the trade association. The group says that Sen. Obama used the list to electronically distribute a press release concerning National Hunting and Fishing Day.
On October 8, NSSF sent a cease and desist letter to the Obama campaign demanding that it immediately stop any further unauthorized misuse of the proprietary media list.
The list contains the names and addresses of members of the media that attended the NSSF Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) – the world’s largest firearms trade show and the 23rd largest trade show of any kind in North America.
The list is tightly controlled and can only be obtained from NSSF. NSSF says that neither the Obama campaign, nor its operations in Indiana, obtained any rights to use the list.
NSSF’s letter demands that the Obama campaign destroy all copies of the list, identify how they obtained the list, and pay monetary damages to NSSF for misappropriation and unauthorized use of the association’s intellectual property. NSSF also demanded an immediate response from the Obama campaign and has threatened to file a lawsuit against the campaign if its demands are not met.
“NSSF will not sit idly by while its legal rights are harmed, particularly for partisan political gain,” said NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.
NSSF is also encouraging all sportsmen and gun owners to visit the NSSF Voter Education website and educate themselves about the candidates’ records and positions on issues important to them in this election.
