WEB SITE NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION/USER RIGHTS

All content appearing on this Web site is the property of IPC, 3000 Lakeside Drive, Bannockburn, IL 60015 Copyright © IPC. All rights reserved.

As a user, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute documents on this Web site so long as (1) the document is used for informational purposes only, and (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © IPC. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK

IPC or its licensor owns the copyright in all of the content comprising this Web site, unless otherwise indicated. By accessing and using this Web site, you agree to abide by U.S. and international copyright law and all other applicable laws. You may access this Web site and retrieve content that contains IPC’s copyright notice, store such content on your own computer, and print one copy of such Content for noncommercial, personal, or educational purposes only, provided that you (1) do not modify, distribute, or transmit such content, and (2) include any copyright notice originally appearing with such content. Permission may be needed for other content not marked with IPC’s or any copyright notice. You may cite or refer to the URL of this Web site without limitation.  

All brand, product, service, and process names appearing on this Web site are trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service, or process does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation, or sponsorship of that product, service, or process by IPC.

The names, trademarks, service marks, and logos of IPC appearing on this site may not be used in any advertising, publicity, or otherwise to indicate IPC’s sponsorship of or affiliation with any product or service, without IPC’s prior express written permission.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel, or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right of IPC or any third party, except as expressly granted herein.

You hereby grant to us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license, with right to sublicense, to reproduce, distribute, transmit, create derivative works of, publicly display and publicly perform any Content you submit via the Interactive Services by all means and in any media now known or hereafter developed for any use or purpose.

DISCLAIMER OF CURRENCY, ACCURACY, OR QUALITY

IPC makes no guarantee as to the currency, accuracy, or quality of information published and/or archived on this Web site, nor will IPC accept any responsibility for other organizations, businesses, and private persons that provide information on this Web site.

ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF INFORMATION

All information on this Web site regarding products and services provided by IPC is subject to change without notice. Reasonable efforts are taken to ensure the accuracy and integrity of all information provided here, but IPC is not responsible for misprints, out-of-date information, or errors. IPC makes no warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any information contained on this Web site.

DISCLAIMER

The Content included in this Web site has been compiled from a variety of sources and is subject to change without notice as are any products, program, offerings, or technical information described in this Web site. IPCmakes no representation or warranty whatsoever regarding the completeness, quality, or adequacy of the Web site or Content or the suitability, functionality, or operation of this Web site or its Content. By using this Web site, you assume the risk that the Content on this Web site may be inaccurate, incomplete, or offensive or may not meet your needs and requirements. IPC SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THESE WEB PAGES AND CONTENT. IN NO EVENT WILL IPC BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF IT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IPC reserves the right to remove any materials that are posted by third parties on this site or materials e-mailed by third parties which IPC considers objectionable.  Notwithstanding the reservation of this right, IPC is not responsible for any material posted by any third party.  IPC specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages which result from any postings by third parties.  Although this site includes links providing direct access to other net sites, IPC has not participated in the development of those other sites and does not exert any editorial or other control over those sites.  In addition, IPC has not participated in the development of sites which have linked to this site, and does not exert any editorial or other control over those sites.

LINKS

Certain links on this Web site lead to resources located on servers that are not maintained by IPC or under its control. Such links are provided for the convenience of visitors to the IPC web site, and IPC is not responsible for the contents of any such referenced Web sites and expressly disclaims any legal liability whatsoever with respect to any claims arising from use of such links.

NO ENDORSEMENT

The inclusion on this Web site of any link to another Web site, or any reference to any product or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or
imply an endorsement or recommendation by IPC.

ANTITRUST GUIDELINES  

The antitrust laws are the rules under which our competitive economic system operates.  Their primary purpose is to preserve and promote free competition.  It is our policy strictly to comply in all respects with the antitrust laws.
Associations by their very nature bring competitors together.  Therefore, it is necessary on this web site to avoid discussions of sensitive topics and especially important to avoid communications with respect to sensitive subjects.  Agreements to fix prices, allocate markets, engage in product boycotts and to refuse to deal with third parties are automatically illegal under the antitrust laws.  

Accordingly, any discussions of prices, including elements of prices such as allowances and credit terms, quality ratings of suppliers, and discussions which may cause a competitor to cease purchasing from a particular supplier, or selling to a particular customer, must be avoided.  Also, there should be no discussion that might be interpreted as a dividing up of territories or customers.

Violations of these rules can have serious consequences for a company and its employees.  The Sherman Antitrust Act is both a civil and criminal statute.  Violations are felonies punishable by penalties of up to $100 million or twice the profits gained or damages whichever is greater for corporations; and by imprisonment of up to ten years or penalties of up to $ 1 mil, or both, for individuals.  The Justice Department, state attorney general, and any person or company injured by a violation of the antitrust laws may bring civil actions for three times the amount of the damages, plus attorneys' fees and injunctive relief.

Here is a list of subjects which may not be the subject of any type of agreement among competitors, whether explicit or implicit, formal or informal, and which therefore should not even be discussed on this sites:

  1. Prices to be charged to clients, customers or by suppliers;
  2. Specific methods by which prices are determined, with directions as to “how to do it” or even less.
  3. division or allocation of markets or customers;
  4. coordination of bids or requests for bids;
  5. terms and conditions of sales, including credit or discount terms;
  6. terms for distribution of products;
  7. targets for production of products or the level of production;
  8. specific profit levels;
  9. exchange of price information as to specific customers;
  10. a boycott of or a refusal to deal with a customer or supplier;
  11. compilation of “approved” lists of customers or suppliers.
  12. “Profit” levels…i.e., “here's what our members need to do to make money.”
  13. Whether a company's pricing practices are “unethical,” “improper,” etc.
  14. Coordination of “bids” or “requests for bids” or requests for proposals (“RFPs”).
  15. Standards or codes to eliminate competition.

When in doubt about discussing any topic, consult with your own legal counsel, or with association staff or its legal counsel, to be sure you are on safe antitrust ground.  When unsure, play it safe and avoid the topic.