At HARMAN, we always strive to succeed, but we seek business advantages only through lawful means. We must never act in ways that could be interpreted as violating antitrust law.
Integrity
Competing Honestly and Fairly
Our Commitment
Why It Matters
Customers come to HARMAN—and stay with us—because they trust us to connect their lives with superior quality, safety and value. But we must always connect with integrity, never through unfair competition. We don’t engage in any conduct that could be seen as a violation of antitrust laws.
How We Compete Honestly and Fairly
- Ensure that you have a legitimate reason before communicating with any HARMAN competitor or other third-party stakeholder.
- Don’t enter into agreements with competitors, customers, suppliers, or other third-party stakeholders that could improperly influence HARMAN’s or another firm’s sales, marketing, manufacturing, or compensation.
- Ask the Legal & Compliance Department for advice before engaging in an activity that puts you in direct contact with competitors, including trade association meetings and events.
Making Connections:
What Are Acceptable Reasons to Communicate with a Competitor?
- Association or industry events
- Joint venture discussions
- Benchmarking projects
- Pricing
- Production costs
- Manufacturing plans
Connecting the Dots: Q&A
I recently attended a trade show and saw several competitors having what appeared to be a friendly conversation in the lounge. I walked over to see if I could join in. I overheard what appeared to be a discussion about pricing strategy. I immediately excused myself and left the lounge. Was that the right thing to do?
Yes. Removing yourself from the discussion reduces the risk that someone might think you were trying to fix prices or engage in other illegal activities with competitors. By excusing yourself verbally, you made it clear to the attendees that you were not interested in being a part of that conversation. This would be important if the incident were ever to be investigated. Report the incident to the Legal & Compliance Department as soon as possible.