Oh, sharky. Firstly, if you read what I wrote carefully you'll notice I said 'with similarities to'. I said that because I'm fully aware that the SEC hasn't assessed atoms (to my knowledge -- perhaps you can correct me if I'm wrong) and adjudged them to be or not be a security, so I cannot say with good conscience that it is, as defined legally, insider trading. But that does not proclude the fact that the way the information you exclusively get could be used might, hypothetically, lead to you gaining benefit similar (there's that word again) to that of an inside trader.

Regardless of its (current) legal standing, I, along with presumably many others since there hasn't been an explosion in investment in the Ionomy, believe it to be a risky and foolish arrangement.