Professionally managed business secrets – Legal and information-technology perspectives
Europe’s future lies in a technology-based, knowledge-based economy with a high degree of innovation. However, in order to achieve this objective, undisclosed technological knowledge and confidential business information require an adequate level of legal protection that goes beyond traditional intellectual property rights (patent law, copyright law, etc.).
In the context of the initiative to create an “Innovation Union”, the EU institutions have for some time been working on a directive “on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure”. It is expected that this directive will be adopted in the coming months.
We are going to take a look at these developments from the perspective of Austrian law, critically assess them, and discuss the legal framework conditions for dealing professionally with business secrets. And we will not turn a blind eye to the issues of theft, espionage and other forms of trade secret abuse, and financial fraud perpetrated by cyber criminals, also and especially in the handling of electronic data. Data security in business enterprises is an essential factor in maintaining competitiveness. The impacts of data thefts are often not transparent, since such crimes frequently go undetected or are detected far too late.
Speakers:
Georg Beham, MSc, Director at KPMG Advisory GmbH and certified expert witness in the field of cyber forensic, privacy and IT security
Ivo Rungg, partner at BINDER GRÖSSWANG
At this event, which will be held in the German language, we will also present our newly published book "Compliance in der Unternehmenspraxis". The almost 440-page publication was written by lawyers from our firm and representatives of KPMG.