WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Star Pipe Products LTD will pay $120,000 in civil penalties over allegations it shared competitively sensitive information.
According to a FTC complaint in 2012, Star Pipe purportedly conducted illegal behavior by exchanging competitively sensitive sales information and raising and stabilizing prices in the ductile iron pipe fittings market. Star Pipe settled to resolve the allegations.
However, a senior executive at the company allegedly continued to receive rival Sigma’s competitively sensitive pricing information and failed to request the stoppage of the information or notify the FTC about the issue.
Under a revised consent order, Star Pipe must provide compliance training and submit affidavits stating that the company has received no competitively sensitive information.
The FTC voted 3-0 to file the complaint and proposed civil penalty order in federal court.