Spectrum Ethics | Proprietary

Proprietary Information

Proprietary information is defined as information that was developed, created or discovered by Spectrum and has commercial value; or information from vendors, subcontractors and customers that became known in the course of doing business with Spectrum.

Prohibited:

Divulging information learned during proposal preparation and other contractual agreements in any future competition.

Sharing Spectrum or client financial information and strategic plans without prior written approval of the COO/President of the Company.

Permitted:

All necessary actions must be taken to protect internal and external information and use it in only the manner for which it is intended.

Verify when it is appropriate to release customer information to the public.

Follow required Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations.

Ensure all Spectrum intellectual property is properly identified by trademark or copyright information.

Be cautious when discussing contract information that may provide advantage to others (i.e. pricing, timeline, systems).

Key Topics - Security & Confidentiality Proprietary Information Copyright Protection Export Controls Data Protection Clearance & Access Email, Internet & Intranet

How can I legitimately obtain competitive intelligence?

A: Competitive intelligence can be obtained fairly and ethically from publically available sources, such as media reports, trade journals, annual reports, governmental filings, speeches of company executives, and from customers in the context of meeting competitive offers. Competitive intelligence should never be obtained through misrepresentation, trespassing, theft, invasion of privacy or obtaining information from co-workers about previous employers.

What business information is considered to be “proprietary”?

A: "Propriety information" includes non-public information that, if improperly disclosed, could be useful to competitors or harmful to Spectrum, our suppliers, our customers, or another third party.

For example, earnings, forecasts, business plans and strategies, significant restructurings, potential acquisitions, formulas, pricing, sales information, research, new product development, undisclosed marketing and promotional activity, significant management changes, a change in auditor or the withdrawals of auditor reports, and events regarding Spectrum securities would all qualify as “proprietary information.”