How a Mistake Exposed a Norwegian Publishing Cartel

Imagine you're running a book publishing company in Norway. It might seem like a world away from high-stakes crime, but even in this industry, shady deals can happen. A group of publishing houses in Norway found themselves in trouble for agreeing to boycott a distribution channel. This wasn't just any disagreement; it was a big no-no under competition laws. The mistake that exposed them? An accidental email sent to the wrong person. Let's take a step back. The theory of convenience in crime says that people, even those in suits and ties, might break rules if it's easy and convenient to do so. In this case, the publishing houses thought they could get away with it. They coordinated their actions, making it a cartel. Sound familiar? It's like when kids in a playground agree not to play with a certain toy so no one gets it. But in the business world, it's serious.

So, how do we stop this from happening? It's all about making it less convenient. Think of it like putting a lock on the toy box so the kids can't easily agree to keep someone out. In businesses, this means having strong oversight and controls. Someone needs to be watching out for these kinds of deals. Now, you might think, "Well, if they're doing something wrong, shouldn't someone catch them? " Yes, but detecting these crimes is tough. They're often hidden, like when the kids whisper their plan. In this case, it took an accidental email to blow the whistle. To really stop cartels, we need to look at the top. Usually, the chief executive officer (CEO) is involved. So, the person in charge of making sure everything is fair (the corporate compliance officer) shouldn't report to the CEO. They should report to someone higher up, like the chairperson of the board or an external auditor. This way, there's a better chance of catching any sneaky deals.

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