There is risk to sharing data with partners/jv's/buyersI knew two publicly traded companies very well. Bought large amounts of steel from both of them. One day the bigger company announces in the Globe and Mail that it has signed off on an agreement to buy the little guy. Then the hype begins and everybody gets happy. For about two weeks. Both companies share prices run, executives talk to the press happily and all appears well for a closing of the announced buyout. Then the deal falls apart. Brief announcement. A fluff explanation. "We changed our minds." Silence from both parties. Six months pass. And the little guy goes broke. Slowly but surely the big guy grabbed all his eastern Canada accounts. Using information gleaned from the "due diligence" period after the original announcement of intent to buy. Over lunch one day, I get talking to one of the execs of the big guy. He confesses, there was never a plan to buy the little guy. It was only smoke and mirrors to get the little guy to share market and pricing info. "Then we just choked him off by underpricing for a while." So, Mr. Lone , keep this in mind. All relationships are not what they appear to be. End of a true story. I was there.