The Sharp Code of ConductⅤ. Sound, Equitable Economic Activities

1. To Engage in Fair and Free Competition and Provide Our Customers with High-Quality, Reasonably Priced Products and Services

  • 1) We will take no part in cartels or in bid riggings such as conferring and limiting on pricing among competitors, division of markets, production limitation and the like. Also, we will fully understand what cartels and bid riggings are, and will take the utmost care and will surely take actions to prevent any involvement on our part in such acts.
  • 2) We will not engage in re-sale price maintenance, tying, or other acts that constitute unreasonable restraint of trade or restrictions on business transactions of our business partners.
  • 3) We will not engage in acts that constitute unilateral changes in trade terms and conditions, compulsory purchasing, or similar acts that take advantage of our dominant bargaining position.
  • 4) In advertising and the like, we will make customer-friendly representations based on factual and objective grounds, and will not engage in acts that constitute false or misleading advertising. Also, we will not offer excessive premiums as an accompaniment to sales nor employ deceptive sales practices.
  • 5) We will not express any items related to social discrimination, impairing individual dignity, politics or religion in our advertising.
  • 6) In addition, we will not engage in acts that violate competition laws, or laws and regulations relating to representations and the like.

2. Not To Engage in Unfair Competitive Acts

  • 1) We will not acquire the trade secrets of third parties by improper means. In addition, we will not acquire, use, or disclose trade secrets of third parties if we become aware that such trade secrets were acquired through improper means or that such trade secrets were acquired through proper means but were improperly disclosed to us.
  • 2) We will not disseminate false information injurious to the business reputation of a competitor.
  • 3) We will not use any indication of goods and services identical or similar to the indication of goods and services of third parties. In addition, we will not engage in acts that constitute imitation of the configuration of the product of a third party.

3. To Respect Intellectual Property Rights

  • 1) Based on the recognition that intellectual property rights ("IPRs") such as patent rights, utility model rights, design rights, trademark rights and copyrights as well as know-how are developed or acquired through tremendous investments by companies and are important assets of the companies, we will work proactively to create and utilize intellectual property.
  • 2) In the event we create intellectual property in the course of our business activities, we will report this fact to the company without delay in accordance with internal company rules, will work to protect and manage the intellectual property, and will cooperate with the company in applying for patents and other IPRs regarding intellectual property to acquire the right.
  • 3) In researching new technologies as well as developing, producing and marketing products, we will respect the IPRs of third parties and will not willfully infringe on these rights. Also, we will take the appropriate measures against a third party's infringement on our IPRs.

4. To Fully Comply With Export and Import Control

  • 1) To fully comply with security export control, in exporting any and all goods and in providing technologies from each of the Sharp Group companies, we will conduct a complete and careful investigation into whether such exports and provisions are subject to the export control laws and regulations of the relevant countries or regions for the maintenance of international peace and security. Further, we will carefully check whether there is a risk that the exported goods or the provided technologies will be used for purposes such as weapons development, considering the application, end-user and form of transaction.
  • 2) Regarding goods and technologies to be exported and imported, we will perform all required export and import procedures in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and relevant internal company rules.

5. To Practice Fair and Appropriate Purchasing Activities

  • 1) In selecting a vendor or supplier, we will conduct a fair and transparent evaluation and assessment in consideration of economic reasonableness as well as the position of corporate social responsibility of potential vendors or suppliers including their legal compliance, business ethics, and environmental consciousness. As a global enterprise, we will work to open our doors widely without discriminating between domestic and foreign companies.
  • 2) We will comply with laws and regulations related to purchasing transactions in each country or region. In addition, we will work to avoid complicity with human rights violations, environmental destruction and the like directly or indirectly through purchasing transactions, and we will not engage in acts that are questionable from the standpoint of business ethics.

6. Not To Engage in Insider Trading

  • 1) Taking advantage of a position to have ready access to certain information which could potentially have a significant effect on the prices of Sharp Group companies' stock or of our business partners' stock listed in stock markets, or gaining access to such information through or as a result of our tasks, we will not engage in buying or selling nor recommend the buying or selling of stocks using such so-called insider information prior to the public announcement of the information in question.
  • 2) We will not give such insider information to directors, officers and employees of the Sharp Group companies who do not require the information in question for their tasks, nor to third parties (customers, family members, friends, etc.).

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