Court nixes rifle target maker’s defamation suit against NBC
NEW YORK — A rifle target maker missed its mark when it said in a lawsuit that NBC mischaracterized its exploding targets as bombs, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said an NBC “Today” show segment’s description of the product as a “bomb” was substantially true. The ruling rejected a 2015 lawsuit Tannerite Sports LLC brought against NBCUniversal News Group.
In the defamation lawsuit, which sought unspecified damages, Tannerite said the March 2015 report mischaracterized its targets as bombs on a shelf. The court said NBC made clear the targets’ ingredients must be mixed and shot before they explode. The court also criticized Tannerite’s complaint that NBC associated its product with terrorists.
A spokesman did not immediately return a message left Tuesday at the company’s Pleasant Hill, Oregon, headquarters.