Important Antitrust Precautions

Whenever competitors within an industry gather together, appropriate care must be exercised to assure that violations of antitrust laws do not take place.
  

All attendees of this meeting should avoid any collusive practices or discussions. Collusion is an agreement to commit fraud, and most usually evidenced in the following antitrust violations:

• Product boycott,

• Restrictive market allocation,

• Refusal to deal with a third party, and 

• Price restraining activities.
  

There need not be written or verbal agreement to fraud; conversations regarding any of these sensitive areas may be construed as implicit violations.
   

In summary, one should avoid discussions of pricing, such as the prices you pay and charge, including labor costs, market share and allocation, quality ratings of products or suppliers — particularly those which may cause a competitor to lock out or to cease purchasing from a specific supplier, and any other areas which might have anti-competitive repercussions. 
  

For your protection and the protection of your company, HFTP recommends that should one of these subjects be brought up, it would be in your best interest to voice your objection to it and to disassociate yourself from the discussion if it continues.