OTHER HAND THAT THAT WAS DUE NOT TO THE LETTER BUT TO CIRCUMSTANCES OF A COMMERCIAL NATURE .
69 IN THAT REGARD IT MUST HOWEVER BE REMEMBERED THAT AT THE PERIOD IN QUESTION COMET , FAR FROM STATING THAT IT MUST BE ABLE TO TRADE FREELY , STATED IN REPLY TO MR TODD ' S LETTER THAT IT ' ' WILL NOT DELIBERATELY EXPORT PIONEER PRODUCTS TO TRADE CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM ' ' . IT FOLLOWS THAT THE LAST SENTENCE OF MR MASON ' S STATEMENT RELATES TO A PERIOD WHICH , IN ANY EVENT , IS LATER THAN THE PERIOD ' ' LATE JANUARY/EARLY FEBRUARY 1976 ' ' .
70 ON THAT POINT IT MUST THEREFORE BE CONCLUDED THAT THE COMMISSION WAS ENTITLED TO FIND THAT COMET HAD EXPORTED LARGE QUANTITIES OF PIONEER EQUIPMENT BEFORE RECEIVING MR TODD ' S LETTER BUT THAT THOSE EXPORTS CEASED FOLLOWING THAT LETTER .
( C ) THE DURATION OF THE CONCERTED PRACTICES
71 REGARD BEING HAD TO THE CONSIDERATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE AS REGARDS THE PERIOD TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR DETERMINING THE DURATION OF THE INFRINGEMENTS , IT IS NO LONGER NECESSARY TO EXAMINE THIS SUBMISSION , WHICH DOES NOT RELATE TO THAT PERIOD .
( D ) PIONEER ' S PARTICIPATION IN THE CONCERTED PRACTICES
72 IN THE CONTESTED DECISION THE COMMISSION FOUND THAT PIONEER HAD PARTICIPATED BOTH IN THE CONCERTED PRACTICE BETWEEN MELCHERS AND MDF AND IN THE CONCERTED PRACTICE BETWEEN MDF AND SHRIRO . IT BASED THAT FINDING , IN PARTICULAR , ON PIONEER ' S GENERAL POSITION WITH REGARD TO NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS , ON THE COURSE AND RESULTS OF THE MEETING IN ANTWERP ON 19 AND 20 JANUARY 1976 AND ON THE TRANSMISSION BY PIONEER TO MELCHERS OF COMPLAINTS AND INFORMATION FROM MDF RELATING TO PARALLEL IMPORTS .
73 PIONEER DISPUTES THAT ITS CONDUCT MAY BE DESCRIBED IN SUCH A WAY . IT MAINTAINS THAT IT WAS IN NO POSITION TO HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THE CONDUCT OF SHRIRO OR MELCHERS . THE PURPOSE OF THE ANTWERP MEETING WAS NOT TO DISCUSS PARALLEL IMPORTS . ON THAT OCCASION , AS ON MANY OTHERS , PIONEER ' S REPRESENTATIVES MERELY LISTENED TO THE COMPLAINTS MADE BY MR SETTON OF MDF AND ADVISED HIM TO LOWER HIS PRICES . THE FORWARDING OF INFORMATION ON PARALLEL IMPORTS MERELY FORMS PART OF THE NORMAL EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN SUPPLIER AND DISTRIBUTOR CONCERNING THE MARKET SITUATION .
74 IN THIS REGARD , IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED THAT THE PURPOSE OF PIONEER , WHICH IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF THE PARENT COMPANY IN JAPAN , IS TO IMPORT PIONEER EQUIPMENT INTO EUROPE AND TO ORGANIZE SALES OF SUCH EQUIPMENT . TO THAT END , IT ATTEMPTS TO FIND A DISTRIBUTOR IN EACH OF THE MEMBER STATES IN QUESTION , OFFERS IT AN EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTORSHIP AGREEMENT , DIVIDES THE PRODUCTS IMPORTED AMONGST THE NATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS AND SEEKS TO COORDINATE THEIR SALES EFFORTS , INTER ALIA BY HOLDING REGULAR MEETINGS .
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