Trade Secrets in the Digital Age: How Do the Measures Provided for in EU Law Face the Challenges of Protecting an Employer’s Trade Secrets against Unauthorised Acquisition, Use and Disclosure by Its Employees?

Abstract

One of the natural consequences of the development of technology is that an entrepreneur’s confidential information, including trade secrets, is commonly stored in electronic files. This form of information storage inevitably entails challenges in the area of its protection. The coronavirus pandemic has drastically accelerated the process of dissemination of new models of employment, in particular remote (distance) work and cloud working, and has made the protection of an entrepreneur’s secrets against unauthorised use even more complicated. This is due to the fact that in such models of employment, employees obtain access to their employer’s data remotely, which may decrease the employer’s level of control. To remedy this, employers may undertake various steps aimed at ensuring that their secrets are well protected; however, such actions may affect the free movement and mobility of workers. The purpose of this article is to verify how, in these circumstances, the measures provided for in EU law face the challenges of protecting an employer’s secrets against unauthorised use by employees and how they define the scope to which they can be applied without the abuse of employees’ rights and unjustified restrictions on their mobility. For that purpose, the author analyses in particular Directive (EU) 2016/943 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2016 on the Protection of Undisclosed Know-How and Business Information (Trade Secrets) against Their Unlawful Acquisition, Use and Disclosure. This research is based mainly on the dogmatic method of analysis.