Apple 2003 Annual Report Download - page 157

D. Political contributions and activities
Corporate contributions to political causes are illegal in many jurisdictions and electoral processes. In those cases, no Apple assets—including
employee work time, use of Apple premises, or equipment—may be contributed to any political candidate, party, or campaign. Even in those
cases when political contributions are legal, no company contributions shall be made without permission from the Apple Government Affairs
Department. Apple employees may participate in any political activities of their choice on an individual basis, with their own money, and on
their own personal time, subject to all applicable laws and provided that their activities otherwise comply with Apple policies.
E.
Trade practices
The economy of the United States, and of most nations in which Apple does business, is based on the principle that competition and profit will
produce high-quality goods at fair prices. To ensure that this principle is allowed to thrive in the marketplace, most countries have laws
prohibiting certain business practices that could inhibit the competitive process. Apple supports these laws not only because they are the law,
but also because we believe in the free market and the idea that healthy competition is essential to our long-term success. Apple employees
should keep these thoughts in mind while performing their jobs, because the penalties for violations can be very serious—both to Apple and to
the individual.
Customers. Generally, Apple may choose the parties with which it wants to do business. Apple employees should follow established
procedures to respond to persons and parties seeking a business relationship with Apple, and should treat all applicants with dignity and
respect. Apple may not agree with other companies, whether they are competitors or not, to refrain from doing business with a particular buyer
or vendor. Apple must make such decisions independently and without collaboration with third parties. In certain countries, Apple may not
condition the sale of one product to a customer on a commitment by the customer that it will purchase a second product.
Resellers.
Apple resellers throughout the world must retain the freedom to establish their resale prices for Apple products. Apple may publish
suggested retail prices and may talk with individual resellers about where market prices are generally, but Apple may not require, coerce or
threaten a reseller, directly or indirectly, in order to get the reseller to sell Apple products at any particular price. Because of the sensitivity of
this topic, Apple employees must not discuss a reseller’s pricing with any competing reseller and shall not agree with, or make a promise to,
such a competing reseller to take any action against another reseller because of pricing activities. Respecting the independence of the reseller
to price Apple products for resale is a cornerstone of Apple’s philosophy of product distribution.
Many countries have laws regarding the prices that manufacturers may charge resellers. For example, U.S. law prohibits the granting of
discriminatory prices to competing purchasers of the same or similar products if the price difference affects competition. Similarly, under
United States law, promotional allowances and services need to be made available to all competing resellers, though the amounts can vary in
proportion to the volume of Apple products purchased by the reseller. Some exceptions exist to both laws, but any exception must be carefully
considered with the assistance of the Apple Law Department.
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