Thesis (doctoral)--Universität der Bundeswehr, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 239-253).

During the last part of the 20th century many companies has started to build their organizations on knowledge and information instead of manufacturing of products.  Today it is easier to communicate and spread information. At the same time the numbers of untraditional employments like temporary employments and workers from staffing agencies are increasing. Many organizations have higher employee turnover now than before. This allows more people to have access to confidential information, whose spreading might cause great damage for the employer. This essay aims to look into the protection of confidential information for the client against offenses from staffing agency workers that are working within the clients’ organization. Protection of confidential information is included in the duty of loyalty in terms of confidentiality, protection of trade secrets and competition clauses. Duty of loyalty lies within the employment contract between the agency employer and the staffing agency. Therefore the agency employer has no duty to be loyal against the client. For the agency worker to be able to perform the required work duties he or she might be provided with confidential information. Spreading of this information could cause damage for the client. Can the rules of justice that regulates duty of loyalty be applied on the relationship between the client and the agency worker?  What are the consequences of the rules that exist today? This essay is written with a juridical method and with sociology of law perspective. Other parts of the duty of loyalty is not included as well as the duty of loyalty for the employer. The conclusion is that the staffing agency is responsible for indemnity towards the client if an agency employer reviles confidential information about the clients’ organization.  Some rules of justice can be interpreted as an expression that duty of loyalty lays between the client and the agency worker. For example, the agency worker is bound by confidentiality in terms of the conditions at the clients’ organization.  Suggestions of changes in the regulations about protection of confidential information will force the agency worker to pay indemnity to the client if he or she reviles confidential information.   In staffing agencies there are twice as many immigrants than in the regular labor market. The rules of duty of loyalty can contribute to a holdback for immigrants that are working in staffing agencies. Immigrants will be at bigger risk of standing outside the general labor market than people born in Sweden because of static discrimination. / Företag har under senare delen av 1900-talet gått från traditionell varuproduktion till att allt mer bygga sin verksamhet på information och kunskap. Den tekniska utvecklingen har gjort det lättare att överföra och sprida kunskap i samhället vilket ökar sårbarheten hos företagen. Icke- traditionella anställningar såsom tidsbegränsade anställningar och inhyrd arbetskraft ökar och företag har en högre personalomsättning nu än tidigare. Fler personer får tillgång till företagsspecifik information och spridning av den skulle kunna skada arbetsgivaren. I min uppsats undersöker jag skyddet av hemlig information för arbetsgivare som hyr in arbetskraft från ett personaluthyrningsföretag. Skydd för hemlig information ingår i den så kallade lojalitetsplikten i form av tystnadsplikt, skydd för företagshemlighet och konkurrensklausuler. Lojalitetplikt föreligger i anställningsavtalet mellan uthyrd arbetstagare och uthyrningsföretaget men arbetstagarens arbetsprestation utförs hos kunden. Kan regleringar kring lojalitetsplikt tillämpas på förhållandet mellan kund och inhyrd arbetstagare? Vad blir konsekvenserna av de regler som finns idag? Uppsatsen är skriven med juridisk metod som har sin utgångspunkt i rättskälleläran samt med rättssociologisk angreppssätt. Andra delar av lojalitetsplikt såsom upplysningsskyldighet, bisysslor eller kritikrätt behandlas inte i uppsatsen, ej heller lojalitetsplikt för arbetsgivaren. Slutsatsen är att uthyrningsföretaget står för den uthyrde arbetstagarens handlingar mot kundföretaget eftersom det föreligger lojalitetsförpliktelser i uthyrningsavtalet mellan kund och uthyrare. Uthyraren står för exempelvis skadestånd om en arbetstagare röjer eller utnyttjar en företagshemlighet hos kunden. Vissa regleringar ger uttryck för att det föreligger lojalitetsplikt mellan kund och inhyrd arbetstagare. Exempelvis är den uthyrda arbetstagaren bunden av tystnadsplikt vad det gäller förhållanden hos kunden. I ett förslag från regeringen på kommande ändringar i lagstiftningen kommer den inhyrde arbetstagaren bli direkt skadeståndsansvarig vid röjande eller utnyttjande av företagshemlighet hos kunden. I uthyrningsbranschen finns dubbelt så stor andel utlandsfödda arbetstagare som på arbetsmarknaden generellt. På grund av hur regleringen kring lojalitetsplikt ser ut idag kan den bidra till inlåsningseffekter för utlandsfödda arbetstagare som arbetar i uthyrningsbranschen. Skilda villkor för svensk- och utlandsfödda såsom statisk diskriminering på arbetsmarknaden gör att utlandsfödda arbetstagare löper större risk än svenskfödda arbetstagare att få stå utanför den traditionella arbetsmarknaden.

Étant le mode naturel de règlement des litiges dans le commerce international, l’arbitrage a pour avantage de maintenir le secret des affaires. D’abord, les débats arbitraux sont tenus à huis clos. La contractualisation de l’arbitrage traduit la volonté des parties d’un débat privé. Ensuite, les éléments produits au cours du procès sont couverts par la confidentialité. Enfin, la sentence arbitrale ne doit être publique qu’avec le consentement des parties. La confidentialité s’oppose notamment à un principe fondamental du droit processuel : la publicité des débats. La confidentialité, pourtant enracinée dans l’esprit des acteurs de l’arbitrage, est aujourd’hui remise en cause par des préconisations qui élèvent la voix pour ouvrir les portes des tribunaux arbitraux afin de répondre aux besoins de transparence jaillie de l’ordre public, et pour s’harmoniser avec l’époque de mondialisation et de technologie omniprésente. Compte tenu de la judiciarisation, juridictionnalisation, et la marchandisation auxquelles s’expose l’arbitrage actuel, la pondération entre ces impératifs enchevêtrés est-elle possible ? A la lumière de tous ces défis, nous mènerons l’étude sur la confidentialité d’un arbitrage de nature mixte (juridictionnelle et contractuelle), afin de savoir si cette confidentialité est l’essence même de ce mode si particulier de résolution des litiges / Arbitration is the natural dispute settlement mechanism of the international business as it presents the advantage of binding commercial secrecy. The contractualisation of the Arbitration reflects the parties’ willingness to keep the proceedings private. Firstly, arbitral discussions are heard in closed session. Then, any evidences produced during the trial are covered by the confidentiality. At last, the arbitral award may not be public without the consent of the parties. The confidentiality goes against the open-court principle which is a basic rule of Procedural law. Confidentialy is deeply rooted in the Arbitration community. However, this principle is nowadays questioned. Some are raising their voice to open the doors of the Arbitration Courts to submit those jurisdictions to transparency, globalization and ubiquous technology. Considering that modern Arbitration is going through judicialisation, jurisdictionalisation and commoditisation, the question is now raised of a balance between those new tangled and inter-related imperatives. In the context of all these challenges, we are going to undertake a study on the confidentialy of an Arbitration having a hybrid nature (jurisdictional and contractual) in order to know if that confidentialy is the very essence of that peculiar dispute settlement mechanism

This study examines the impact of U.S. states’ staggered adoption of the inevitable disclosure doctrine (IDD) on rival companies’ auditor choice. I posit that, in states where the IDD limits employee mobility among rival companies, the IDD adoption exogenously increases the costs of disclosing proprietary information through other channels. I find that on average peer companies do not show any changes in the probability of audit office sharing after the companies’ headquarter states adopt the IDD. I also find that companies with trade secrets respond to IDD adoption by avoiding audits conducted by the same audit office as their competitors’ audit office, supporting the proprietary cost hypothesis. The results are robust not only in various levels of auditor sharing but also after I incorporate factors including Mergers and Acquisitions, SOX, and differentiations of IDD adoption and rejection. Cross-sectional results related to Big N auditors suggest that peer companies with trade secrets that hire Big N auditors increase audit office sharing because Big N auditors’ higher levels of reputation, higher litigation costs, and deep pockets alleviate concerns of potential information leakage through audit office sharing in the post IDD adoption periods. My cross-sectional results related to audit committee experts show that peer companies with trade secrets respond to IDD adoption by engaging in more frequent audit office sharing when they have industry experts and accounting financial experts on audit committees. Supervisory financial expertise on audit committees of peer companies with trade secrets does not seem to affect the probability of audit office sharing after the IDD adoption. To my knowledge, this study is the first to document the causal effect of proprietary information costs on audit office choices of U.S. companies with trade secrets. / Business Administration/Accounting

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research report reviews South African and international legislation aimed at preventing insider trading and provides an overview of the successful criminal and civil proceedings taken against insiders. It highlights the possible preventative measures South African companies and legislature can take to reduce insider trading. The United States of America is one of the few countries that had successfully implemented legislation prohibiting insider trading prior to the 1990s. Most countries, including South Africa, only implemented legislation prohibiting insider trading in the late 1990s. Due to apartheid and sanctions against South Africa, the JSE has built up a legacy of being an insider's haven. The Directorate of Market Abuse has the task of transforming this legacy to restore investors' confidence in the market in order to promote economic growth. The success of the legislation is firstly measured by the knowledge the market has gained relating to insider trading since the implementation of the legislation. According to the South African market, insider trading is unethical, but 22% of the participants in the G:cnesis survey still believe that it is an acceptable practice in the South African market. South African companies therefore need to educate their employees and take preventative measures to reduce insider trading in order to erode this culture. Insider trading can only be prevented and reduced if legislation is enforced. Globally, few legal criminal proceedings have been successful, therefore legislation in most countries makes provision for civil remedies. As the burden of proof in a civil legal proceeding is only on "a balance of probabilities", civil proceedings against insiders have been successful. In South Africa, the majority of cases referred for civil legal action have been settled out of court by the alleged insider without admitting guilt to a criminal offence. The South African legislation regulating insider trading in the market is aligned with legislation globally. South Africa's future challenges are to maintain the initial success achieved in reducing insider trading. The establishment of a specific court specialising in financial crime and monitoring specific changes to legislation could increase the possibility of future success. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die projek ondersoek die Suid-Afikaanse en internasionale wetgewing teen binnehandel. Verder word die suksesvolle kriminele en siviele verrigtinge teen diegene wat hulle aan binnehandel skuldig maak onder die soeklig geplaas. Die projek beklemtoon die moontlike voorkomingsmaatreels wat Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye en regslui kan implementeer om moontlike toekomstige binnehandel te bekamp. Die Verenigde State van Amerika is een van die min lande wat reeds voor die 1990s wetgewing teen binnehandel suksesvol geimplementeer bet. Ander lande, insluitend Suid-Afrika, het eers in die laat 1990s wetgewing teen binnehandel geproklameer. Apartheid en sanksies teen Suid-Afrika het 'n nalatenskap van vrye binnehandel op die JSE gelaat. Dit is die taak van die Direktoraat van Markmisbruik om hierdie nalatenskap uit te wis, sodat beleggersvertroue in die mark herstel kan word, wat weer tot ekonomiese groei sal lei. Een van die maatstawwe om die sukses van die wetgewing te meet, is om te bepaal hoeveel kennis die finansiele gemeenskap sedert die implementering van die nuwe wetgewing ingewin het. Volgens die finansiele gemeenskap is binnehandel oneties, maar 22% van die deelnemers aan die G:encsis-opname glo dat binnehandel wel in Suid-Afrika aanvaarbaar is. Daarom moet Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye hulle werknemers se kennis oor binnehandel verbreed en ander voorkomende maatreels in plek stel om die kultuur van binnehandel te elimineer. Binnebandel kan slegs voorkom en verminder word indien wetgewing geimplementeer word. Relatief min kriminele sake teen binnehandel lei tot skuldigbevinding, maar plaaslike en internasionale wetgewing maak voorsiening vir siviele aksies. In 'n siviele hofsaak moet ingediende bewyse slegs na alle waarskynlikheid die skuld van die oortreder bewys, wat suksesvolle siviele vervolging moontlik maak. Die meerderheid siviele sake in Suid-Afrika word buite die bar geskik sonder dat die aangeklaagde skuld aan 'n kriminele daad erken. Die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing is in lyn met internasionale standaarde. Suid-Afrika staar verskeie uitdagings in die gesig ten opsigte van die handhawing van die huidige suksesvolle bekamping van binnehandel. Die moontlike totstandkoming van 'n spesiale hof, wat slegs finansiele verwante oortredings aanhoor en veranderings aan die wetgewing kontroleer, kan bydra tot die toekomstige sukses van die Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing.

The major problems associated with trade secret law in New Zealand are that it is confused in definition and in jurisdiction. This confusion contributes to the failure of trade secret law in some instances, particularly to protect information created in the emerging biotechnology and computer software industries. This has contributed to alternative forms of protection, notably through copyright for computer programs. From a review of the current law, categories of trade secrets are identified, including sub-patentable and patentable trade secrets. The jurisdictional dispute may be resolved if it is recognised that trade secrets represent a form of property right. To this end, the legal and economic approaches to property rights are synthesised. This synthesis is then extended to create a legal-economic model of the justifications for, and the problems with, the protection of these rights: the intellectual property rights continuum. From this model, it is concluded that some legal protection of trade secrets is justified, provided that equally harmful effects are not created. In particular, sub-patentable trade secrets may warrant greater protection, and patentable trade secrets may be over-protected. One proposal is to punish industrial espionage, although some harmful effects may result. Utility models and laws that protect trade secrets in general are considered and rejected as solutions. Instead, patents of improvement (PI) are proposed which would protect trade secrets that represent an advance on an existing patent. PI would represent a lower standard of inventiveness that is adopted from American biotechnology patent disputes, and so protect sub-patentable trade secrets. The other, higher threshold from the existing English patent law would remain as the patent standard. If a PI were granted to a patent owner, then s/he could practise price discrimination, but if granted to a rival, then competition could result. Either outcome could protect trade secrets, yet mitigate the harmful effects of legal protection. If these proposals were adopted, more information could be produced as well as utilised. Moreover, the growth of the biotechnology and computer software industries in New Zealand could be furthered.

Orientador: Jete Jane Fiorati / Banca: Elisabete Maniglia / Banca: Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura / Resumo: O presente estudo iniciou-se com análise de legislações domésticas que contribuíram para a formação do Primeiro Regime Internacional de Propriedade Intelectual, inaugurado com a Convenção de Paris de 1883. Tal fase objetivou extrair os verdadeiros paradigmas que sustentam os Direitos de Propriedade Intelectual, bem como apontar a importância da inovação tecnológica enquanto bem juridicamente valorado pela sociedade. Após tal análise, passou-se ao estudo do Primeiro Regime Internacional de Propriedade Intelectual, onde foram abordados todos os Tratados, Acordos e Convenções Internacionais que objetivaram proteger o potencial criativo e as inovações tecnológicas sob os auspícios da Organização Mundial da Propriedade Intelectual (OMPI). Em seguida, sob uma perspectiva histórica, foram analisados os fatores sociais, políticos e econômicos que contribuíram para o fim do Primeiro Regime e o início do Novo Regime Internacional de Propriedade Intelectual. Dentre os denominadores apontados, recebeu destaque o fenômeno de internacionalização do comércio, o qual passou a gerar efeitos a partir de meados dos anos 70 (setenta). Finda tal etapa, analisou-se o Novo Regime Internacional de Propriedade Intelectual, cujo marco inicial é o Anexo 1.C. do Acordo Constitutivo da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC) de 1994. Tal Anexo é conhecido pelo nome de TRIPS (Treaty Related Aspects of Intellectual Property). A mudança de Regime foi estudada sob a perspectiva da modificação dos princípios sob os quais se estruturou o Primeiro Regime Internacional de Propriedade Intelectual. Neste ponto, concluiuse que o principal marco de ruptura foi a inserção dos princípios de livre-concorrência dentre os princípios que disciplinavam a matéria desde a Convenção de Paris de 1883. Outro fator de ruptura foi a inclusão do tema "Propriedade Intelectual" nas matérias...(Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Resumen: El presente estudio se inició con análisis de legislaciones domésticas que contribuyeron para la formación del "Primer Régimen Internacional de Propiedad Intelectual", inaugurado con lo Convenio de Paris de 1883. Dicha fase tuvo como objetivo extraer los verdaderos paradigmas que sostienen los Direitos de Propriedade Intelectual, bien como apuntar la importancia de la innovación tecnológica como un bien juridicamente valorado por la sociedad. Después de este análisis, se pasó al estudio del Primer Régimen Internacional de Propiedad Intelectual, donde fueron abordados todos los Tratados, Arreglos y Convenciones Internacionales que tenían como objetivo proteger el potencial creativo y las innovaciones tecnológicas bajo los auspícios de la Organización Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI). En seguida, bajo una perspectiva histórica, fueron analizados los hechos sociales, políticos y económicos que contribuyeron para el fin del Primer Régimen y el início del Nuevo Régimen Internacional de Propiedad Intelectual. Entre los denominadores apuntados, recibió especial atención el fenómeno de internacionalización del comércio, el cual pasó a generar efectos a partir de mediados de los años 70 (setenta). Terminada tal etapa, se analisó el Nuevo Régimen Internacional de Propiedad Intelectual, cuyo marco inicial es el Anexo 1.C. del Acuerdo Constitutivo de la Organización Mundial del Comércio (OMC) de 1994. Tal Anexo es conocido por el nombre de ADPIC (Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio). El cambio de Régimen fue estudiado bajo la perspectiva de la modificación de los princípios bajo los cuales se estructuró el Primer Régimen Internacional de Propiedade Intelectual. En este punto, se concluyó que el principal marco de ruptura fue la inserción de los princípios de libre competencia entre los princípios que disciplinaban la materia desde lo Convenio de Paris de 1883... / Mestre

LLM / Department of Mercantile Law / The study critically analyses the concurrent enforceability of restraint of trade and garden leave in South African Labour law. The study seeks to answer the question of whether or not the simultaneous enforceability of restraint of trade agreements and garden leave is reasonable. Designed within a qualitative paradigm primarily based on a critical literature review, the study employs a doctrinal approach to establish the contemporary legal position in respect of the simultaneous enforceability of restraint of trade agreements and garden leave in South African Labour law. The objectives pursued by the study are to mitigate the controversies and clear the confusion relating to the enforceability of restraint of trade agreements; to justify the doctrine of restraint of trade; assess the reasonableness of the simultaneous enforceability of garden leave and restraint of trade; examine the onus of proof in matters dealing with the enforceability of restraint of trade agreements; test the constitutionality of restraint of trade agreements; evaluate the relationship between restraint of trade agreements and garden leave; and propose practical recommendations that can be employed to address identified legal flaws in the context of the topic. Structurally, the study begins with unpacking the background to the research topic, the history, origin and rationality of restraint of trade agreements together with an assessment of their enforceability. It further examines the effect of garden leave on restraint of trade agreements, outlines comparative perspectives on restraint of trade, including aspects relating to garden leave and highlights lessons South Africa may learn from the selected jurisdictions. Finally, the study recommends that South African jurisprudence should be developed to shift the burden of proof to employers to prove reasonableness of garden leave and restraint of trade agreements, to impose an obligation on employers to pay former employees for rendering them jobless and to set a maximum period that an employee can be prevented to compete or be employed by employer’s competitors. / NRF

Sammanfattning Vi lever i en alltmer digitaliserad värld där utvecklad teknik kan bidra till att lösa flertalet samhällsproblem. Till exempel är intresset av avancerad AI-teknik inom sjukvård alltmer efterfrågat. AI-teknik har stor potential att stödja sjukvårdspersonal och individer, förkorta köer och förbättra vården. Tekniken bygger på insamlandet av stora mängder data som ska programmeras till att härma intelligent beteende. Åtskilliga känsliga personuppgifter behandlas i och med insamlandet av denna data. Inom ramen för den pågående debatten om personlig integritet skapas samtidigt en potentiell konfliktyta där företagshemligheter riskerar att avslöjas när information lämnas ut vid utövandet av enskildas dataskyddsrättigheter.  Konfliktytan aktualiseras till exempel om registerutdraget inkluderar delar av företags affärsplaner, arbetsmetodik och teknikens uppbyggnad. Ett annat exempel rör systematiskt utlämnande av personuppgifter efter begäran från en mängd registrerade, där sammanställningen i sig kan betraktas som företagshemligheter. Hur ser gränsdragningen ut för dessa motstående intressen? Hur förhåller man sig till balansgången mellan skydd av personlig integritet och skydd för företagshemligheter?  En adekvat intresseavvägning möjliggör för företag att skydda företagshemligheter samtidigt som enskildas personliga integritet inte äventyras. Hur denna intresseavvägning ska se ut är dock fortfarande oklart, vilket ligger till grund för denna uppsats. / Abstract We live in an increasingly digitized world where technology can help solve many societal challenges. For example, the interest in advanced AI technology in healthcare is increasingly in demand. AI technology has great potential to support healthcare professionals as well as individuals, shorten queues and improve healthcare. The technology is based on the collection of large amounts of data to be programmed to mimic intelligent behaviour. A great number of sensitive personal data are processed when such data is collected. Within the framework of the ongoing debate on personal integrity, a potential conflict area arises at the same time, where trade secrets risk being disclosed while information is provided as individual data protection rights are exercised.  The conflict area is raised, for instance, in cases where the register extract includes parts of the company’s business plans, work methodology and the structure of the technology. Another example concerns systematic disclosure of personal data upon request from a great number of registered persons, where the compilation itself can be regarded as trade secrets. What will the boundaries of these opposing interests be like? How does one relate to the balance between the protection of privacy and the protection of trade secrets?  An adequate balance of interests enables companies to protect trade secrets while not compromising individual privacy. However, how this balance of interests should be framed is still unclear, which has given rise to this thesis.

University of Macau / Faculty of Law