What has been illegal and continues to be are the takeover or HIJACKINGS of empty shell garbage tickers like SOLI by unscruplulous characters. The SEC/FINRA have a new regulation coming into effect shortly that will affect about 3,000 of these OTC scam dead tickers where the FORM 211s will get pulled and they will all be placed as non tradeable. E TRADE is getting prepared for that now and all other brokers will have to do the same.