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Coke thanks Pepsi

ATLANTA: Coca-Cola and Pepsi are usually bitter enemies, but when PepsiCo Inc. got a letter offering to sell Coke trade secrets, it went straight to its corporate rival. Six weeks later, three persons face federal charges of stealing confidential information, including a sample of a new drink, from The Coca-Cola Co. and trying to sell it to PepsiCo Inc. ``Competition can sometimes be fierce, but also must be fair and legal,'' a Pepsi official said. ``We're pleased the authorities and the FBI have identified the people responsible for this.'' The suspects arrested — on the day a $1.5 million transaction was to occur — include a Coke executive's administrative assistant who is accused of rifling through corporate files and stuffing documents and the new Coca-Cola product into a personal bag. The three were charged with wire fraud and unlawfully stealing and selling Coke trade secrets, federal prosecutors said. Coke thanked Pepsi for its assistance. — AP

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