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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, European Union (EU)

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Year of Version 2016 Dates Adopted: June 8, 2016 Type of Text Main IP Laws Subject Matter Undisclosed Information (Trade Secrets), Enforcement of IP and Related Laws, IP Regulatory Body Notes The notification by the European Union to the WTO under Article 63.2 of TRIPS states:
'The Directive harmonises the definition of trade secrets in accordance with existing internationally binding standards. It also defines the relevant forms of misappropriation and clarifies that reverse engineering and parallel innovation must be guaranteed. Without establishing criminal sanctions, the proposal harmonises the civil means through which victims of trade secret misappropriation can seek protection.'

Available Texts Main text(s) Main text(s) German Richtlinie (EU) 2016/943 Des Europäischen Parlaments Und Des Rates vom 8. Juni 2016 über den Schutz vertraulichen Know-hows und vertraulicher Geschäftsinformationen (Geschäftsgeheimnisse) vor rechtswidrigem Erwerb sowie rechtswidriger Nutzung und Offenlegung PDF HTML Italian Direttiva (Ue) 2016/943 Del Parlamento Europeo E Del Consiglio dell'8 giugno 2016 sulla protezione del know-how riservato e delle informazioni commerciali riservate (segreti commerciali) contro l'acquisizione, l'utilizzo e la divulgazione illeciti PDF HTML Portuguese Diretiva (Ue) 2016/943 Do Parlamento Europeu E Do Conselho de 8 de junho de 2016 relativa à proteção de know-how e de informações comerciais confidenciais (segredos comerciais) contra a sua aquisição, utilização e divulgação ilegais PDF HTML Croatian Direktiva (EU) 2016/943 Europskog Parlamenta I Vijeća od 8. lipnja 2016. o zaštiti neotkrivenih znanja i iskustva te poslovnih informacija (poslovne tajne) od nezakonitog pribavljanja, korištenja i otkrivanja PDF HTML French Directive (UE) 2016/943 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 8 juin 2016 sur la protection des savoir-faire et des informations commerciales non divulgués (secrets d'affaires) contre l'obtention, l'utilisation et la divulgation illicites PDF HTML English 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 PDF HTML Spanish Directiva (UE) 2016/943 del Parlamento Europeo y del Consejo de 8 de junio de 2016 relativa a la protección de los conocimientos técnicos y la información empresarial no divulgados (secretos comerciales) contra su obtención, utilización y revelación ilícitas PDF HTML
Legislation Relates to (1 text(s)) Relates to (1 text(s))
Code of Economic Law (updated on June 19, 2019) (BE187)
 Is implemented by (20 text(s)) Is implemented by (20 text(s))
Code of Economic Law (updated on April 21, 2022)  (BE214)
Law No. 8 of March 14, 1996, on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (amended up to Law No. 69/2022) (RO107)
Civil Procedure Law (as amended up to March 1, 2021)  (LV126)
Protection of Competition Act (SG No. 102/2008 as amended up to February 26, 2021) (BG122)
Act on the Protection of Trade Secrets of 18 April 2019 (Trade Secrets Act) (DE204)
Industrial Property Code (approved by Decree-Law No. 110/2018 of December 10, 2018, and amended by Decree-Law No. 9/2021 of January 29, 2021) (PT194)
Law No. 1/2019 of February 20, 2019, on Trade Secrets (ES229)
Law No. 133 of November 15, 2018, on the Modernization of the Civil Code and the Amendment of Some Legislative Acts (MD173)
Trade Secrets Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No. 22/19 of April 5, 2019) (SI083)
Act No. 221/2006 Coll., of April 25, 2006, on the Enforcement of Industrial Property Rights and the Protection of Trade Secrets (amended by Act No. 286/2018 Coll.) (CZ095)
Act No. LIV of 2018 on the Protection of Trade Secrets (HU116)
Act on the Protection of Undisclosed Information with Market Value (OG No. 30/2018) (HR123)
Act on Trade Secrets (2018:558) (SE173)
Decree No. 2018-1126 of December 11, 2018, on the Protection of Trade Secrets (FR567)
European Union (Protection of Trade Secrets) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 188/2018) (IE247)
Law No. 2018-670 of July 30, 2018, on the Protection of Trade Secrets (FR515)
Law of July 30, 2018, on the Protection of Trade Secrets (BE173)
Legislative Decree No. 63 of May 11, 2018, on the Implementation of 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 (IT217)
Trade Secrets Act (Act No. 309 of April 25, 2018) (DK230)
Trade Secrets Protection Act of 2018 (Act of October 17, 2018, Laying Down Rules for Implementing 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) (NL019)
WTO Document Reference
IP/N/1/EU/6
IP/N/1/EU/U/3
WIPO Lex No. EU218