新增訂公司營業秘密侵害之刑事責任──談公司預防機制與刑事免責

Corporate Criminal Liability in Taiwan for the Theft of Trade Secrets: The Story of a Reform Impeded by Ambiguity

我國營業秘密法自民國85年制定公布，經過了22年執行，國內與國際的商業環境有了質與量改變，因而產業也提高營業秘密保護之需求。近年來國內科技大廠呼籲加重營業秘密侵害之刑事責任，遏阻產業竊取營業秘密歪風。於是經過朝野協商，立法院終於在102年1月13日，三讀通過營業秘密法刑事責任，於現行營業秘密法增訂第13之1到13之4條等4條條文。新法增加強化營業秘密保護，擴大營業秘密犯罪之態樣並提高刑責。自此，我國營業秘密保護因而邁入新的一個時代。
本次營業秘密法修法重點之一，即增訂營業秘密法第13條之4有關法人併同處罰制之規定，以強化企業監督營業秘密保護之義務。新法也提供法人得以舉證「防止發生犯罪已盡義務」而免除責任，是我國對於營業秘密保護的重大變革。企業應如何因應新修正營業秘密法規定，以避免刑事責任，是一大問題。
本文將由公司保護營業秘密的監督責任出發，探討公司未盡監督致受營業秘密侵害之民刑事責任，以及公司應如何架構營業秘密法律遵循制度以避免企業成立營業秘密之刑事責任。

On January 13, 2013, the Taiwanese Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the Trade Secrets Law. The amendment imposes up to five years of imprisonment on individuals for the theft of trade secrets and up to fifty million dollars in fines on a corporate violator should a corporate employee, agent and or representative be found criminally liable for the theft of trade secrets. The textual reading of Art 13-4 of the amendment suggests that persons who prove that they endeavored to prevent the crime of trade secret theft will not be subject to criminal liability under this amendment.
While this new amendment is a step forward the Taiwanese law is still lacking in the area of the protection of trade secrets. In particular, the law is not in equal footing with other laws that deal with the issue of trade secrets theft. We further believe that more emphasis should be on comparative normative studies, especially with respect to jurisdictions that have extensively corporate dealt with the issue of trade secrets theft. Such focus will no doubt help advance our understanding of this matter and consequently help Taiwanese companies in forming corporate due diligence, polices and guidelines.
Under the American system, a corporation board of directors is required to establish adequate legal compliance program to audit employees. Should there be no system in place and a violation takes place the Directors or the corporation may be liable for a breach of duty of care and maybe subject to liability. Indeed the existence of a corporate due diligence program could well be all what we need to shape this new area of law. Under the American system a corporate board of directors is required to establish adequate legal compliance program to audit employees. Should there be no system in place and a violation takes place the Directors may be liable for a breach of duty of loyalty. Indeed the existence of a corporate oversight program could well be all what we need to shape this new area of law.
This article explores criminal liability for the theft of trade secrets in contemporary international jurisprudence and laws as well as Taiwanese Trade Secrets law of 2013. This article also examines some of the mishaps and pitfalls of the Taiwanese law of 2013 and sheds lights on how these pitfalls might be straightened or corrected.