WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DUCOMMERCEIP/N/1/SWE/U/1
29April 1996
ORGANIZACI ÓNMUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO(96-1637)
Council forTrade-Related Aspects Original: English/
ofIntellectual Property Rights anglais/
inglés
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS AND REGULATIONS
NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2OFTHE AGREEMENT
Sweden
Thepresent document reproduces1theActontheProtection ofTrade Secrets (1990:409), as
notified bySweden under Article 63.2oftheAgreement (seedocument IP/N/1/SWE/1).
Conseil desaspects desdroits depropriété
intellectuelle quitouchent aucommerce
PRINCIPALES LOIS ETREGLEMENTATIONS CONSACREES ALA
PROPRIETE INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIEES AUTITRE
DEL'ARTICLE 63:2DEL'ACCORD
Suède
Leprésent document contient letexte1delaLoisurlaprotection dessecrets commerciaux
(1990:409),notifiéeparlaSuèdeautitredel'article63:2del'Accord(voirledocumentIP/N/1/SWE/1):
Consejo delosAspectos delosDerechos dePropiedad
Intelectual relacionados conelComercio
PRINCIPALES LEYES YREGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS ALA
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS ENVIRTUD
DEL PÁRRAFO 2DEL ARTÍCULO 63DEL ACUERDO
Suecia
Enelpresente documento sereproduce1eltextodelaLeydeProtección deSecretos Comerciales
(1990:409), notificada porSuecia deconformidad conelpárrafo 2delartículo 63delAcuerdo (véase
eldocumento IP/N/1/SWE/1).
1English only/anglais seulement/inglés solamente.IP/N/1/SWE/U/1
Page2
THE MINISTRY OFJUSTICE
Stockholm
ACT
ONTHE PROTECTION OFTRADE SECRETS
(Act1990:409, ofMay31,1990).
Introductory Provisions
Article 1.Forthepurposes ofthisAct,a"trade secret" means suchinformation concerning thebusiness
orindustrial relations ofaperson conducting business orindustrial activities which thatperson
wants tokeepsecret andthedivulgation ofwhich would belikely tocause adamage tohimfromthe
point ofviewofcompetition.
Theterm"information" comprises bothinformation documented insome form, including drawings,
models andother similar technical prototypes, andtheknowledge ofindividual persons about specific
circumstances evenwhere ithasnotbeendocumented insome form.
Article 2.TheActapplies onlytounwarranted infringements oftrade secrets.
Asanunwarranted infringement isnottobeconsidered thefactthatsomeone acquires, exploits or
divulges whatisatradesecret ofaperson conducting business orindustrial activities inorder tomake
available tothepublic orbefore apublic authority divulge something thatmaybeanoffence forwhich
imprisonment maybeadjudicated, orwhich maybeconsidered tobeanother serious incongruity in
thebusiness orindustrial activity ofaperson conducting suchactivities.
Asanunwarranted infringement isnotconsidered thefactthatsomeone exploits ordivulges atrade
secret about which heorsomeone before himacquired knowledge ingood faith.
Penalties
Article 3.Anyone whowilfully andwithout authorization accesses atrade secret shallbesentenced
fortradeespionage tofinesorimprisonment fornotmore thantwoyears or,where theoffence isgrave,
toimprisonment fornotmore thansixyears. Intheevaluation ofwhether theoffence isgrave, particular
attention shallbegiven towhether theacthasbeenofaparticularly dangerous kind, concerned a
considerable monetary value orresulted inaparticularly serious damage.
Apenalty asmentioned inthefirstparagraph shallnotbeadjudicated where amore serious penalty
would follow under thePenal Code.
Attempts andplanning oftrade espionage shallbepunishable according toChapter 23ofthePenal
Code.
Article 4.Anyone whoobtains atradesecret knowing thattheperson whomakes available thesecret,
oranyone before him, hasaccessed itthrough anactoftrade espionage shall bepunished for
unauthorized tampering withatrade secret tofinesorimprisonment fornotmore thantwoyears, or,
where theoffence isgrave, toimprisonment fornotmore thanfouryears.
Apenalty asmentioned inthefirstparagraph shallnotbeadjudicated where amore serious penalty
would follow under thePenal Code.IP/N/1/SWE/U/1
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Damages.
Article 5.Anyone whocommits anoffence under Article 3or4shallpayacompensation forthedamage
caused through theoffence orthrough thefactthatthetradesecret is,without authorization, exploited
orrevealed.
Article 6.Anyone whowilfully orthrough negligence exploits orreveals atrade secret inaperson 's
business orindustrial activity ofwhich hehasbeeninformed inconfidence inconnection withabusiness
transaction withthatperson shallcompensate thedamage caused through hisaction.
Article 7.Anyone whowilfully orthrough negligence exploits orreveals thetradesecret ofhisemployer
ofwhich hehasbeeninformed inthecourse ofhisemployment under suchcircumstances thathe
understood, orought tohaveunderstood, thathewasnotallowed toreveal it,shallcompensate the
damage caused byhisaction.
Where theaction tookplace afterthetermination oftheemployment, thefirstparagraph shallapply
onlywhere there areextraordinary reasons forit.
Article 8.Anyone whowilfully orthrough negligence exploits orreveals atradesecret which, according
towhatheunderstands orought tounderstand, hasbeenthesubject ofanaction under thisAct.shall
compensate thedamage caused through hisaction. Thesameapplies inwhere aperson otherwise wilfully
orthrough negligence exploits orreveals atrade secret, which, according towhatheunderstands or
should understand, hasbeenrevealed contrary totheprovisions intheSecrecy Act(1980:100).
Liability under Chapter 20,Article 3,ofthePenal Code shallnotbeadjudicated anyone onthebasis
ofaviolation under thefirstparagraph.
Article 9.Inthedetermination ofthecompensation under Articles 5to8,foraviolation ofthetrade
secret ofaperson conducting business orindustrial activities consideration shallalsobegiven tohis
interint thatthesecret notbeexploited orrevealed without authorization andtoother circumstances
ofother thanpurely economic importance.
Article 10.Anaction forcompensation fordamages under thisActmayconcern onlydamages caused
during thelastfiveyears before theaction wasbrought. Therighttocompensation islostfordamages
which occurred before thatdate.
Prohibitions under Penalty ofaFine.
Article 11.Anyone whohasviolated atradesecret under thisActmaybeprohibited byaCourt, under
penalty ofafine,toexploit orreveal thetrade secret. Suchaprohibition under penalty ofafinemay,
however, ordered onlywhere anexploitation orarevelation would beaviolation oftheprovisions
ofArticle 2.
Anaction under thefirstparagraph maybebrought bytheperson whohasbeenthesubject ofthe
unlawful violation. Such anaction maybebrought alsoinconnection withacriminal action foran
offence under Article 3or4.
Anaction fortheadjudication ofafineshallbebrought totheCourt which inthefirstinstance has
determined theissue oftheprohibition under penalty ofafine. Theaction shallbebrought bythe
person whohasapplied fortheprohibition. Inconnection withsuchanaction, anaction mayalsobe
brought foranewprohibition under penalty ofafine.IP/N/1/SWE/U/1
Page4
Aperson whohasviolated aprohibition under penalty ofafinemaynotbeadjudicated tocriminal
liability fortheactcovered bytheprohibition.
Article 12.Aprohibition under penalty ofafinemaybeinvalidated following anaction bytheperson
whohasbeenthesubject oftheprohibition, where thepurpose oftheprohibition haslostitsimportance.
Article 13.Where theperson whohasapplied forprohibition under penalty ofafineunder Article
11shows aprobable casethatatrade secret hasbeenviolated under thisActanditcanreasonably
beassumed thatthedefendant, through thecontinuation ofhisviolation diminishes thevalue ofthe
trade secret, theCourt mayorder aprohibition under penalty ofafineforthetimeuntilthecasehas
beenfinally adjudicated orotherwise isdecided. Theprovisions ofChapter 15,Articles 5to8,ofthe
Code onJudicial Procedure apply inthissituation.
Asregards appeals against decisions under thefirstparagraph andconcerning theproceedings inhigher
Courts, theprovisions inChapter 15oftheCode onJudicial Procedure onappeals against decisions
apply.
Surrender Against Compensation, Etc.
Article 14.Where aperson haviolated atradesecret under thisAct,theCourt mayorder thatdocuments
orobjects which hehasinhispossession andwhich contains thesecret shallbesurrendered tothe
person whohasbeenthesubject oftheunlawful violation. TheCourt mayorder thatthesurrender
shalltakeplace against thepayment ofacompensation.
Where adocument oranobject containing atradesecret cannotwithout prejudice besurrendered under
thefirstparagraph, theCourt mayorder thatthedocument ortheobject shallbedestroyed oraltered
orthatanother action shallbetaken soastoprevent misuse.
Orders under thefirstorsecond paragraph shallnotbeissued where anexploitation oradivulgation
would notbeunwarranted under Article 2orwhere asurrender orother action likely prevent misuse
shallbeordered under Chapter 36ofthePenal Code.
Actions under thefirstorsecond paragraph shallbebrought bytheperson whohasbeenthesubject
oftheunlawful violation. Such anaction maybebrought alsoinconnection withacriminal action
referred toinArticles 3or4.
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1.ThisActenters intoforce onJuly1,1990.
2.ThisActrepeals theAct(1931:152) Containing Certain Provisions Against Unfair Competition.
Theprovisions oncompensation fordamages under thatActcontinue, however, toapply asregards
actsundertaken before theentry intoforce.