營業秘密損害賠償法制之研究—以我國審判實務為中心

Abstract

營業秘密在商業活動中扮演重要角色。隨著國際貿易日益活絡，營業秘密的保護除了影響個別企業的市場競爭力，更關乎國家經濟的發展。 我國於1995年制定營業秘密法，立法之初僅有民事規範；2013年修正時，增訂刑罰規定；2022年，將屬於「國家核心關鍵技術」的營業秘密納入國家安全法，提升至國家安全層級，課以更高的刑事責任，以防範來自外部勢力的竊密行為。這一發展不僅是因應地緣政治的變化與科技領域的激烈競爭，同時也反映出對民事訴訟所發揮之保護作用的不足之擔憂。 本文以侵害營業秘密的損害賠償為核心。首先，分析歐美的營業秘密法規，觀察歐盟、法國、德國及美國的規範重點，並歸納出與我國營業秘密法的異同之處。主要的差異在於合理權利金、精神損害賠償、懲罰性違約金及律師費用的規範。 此外，針對我國自2020年10月1日至2023年9月30日間之一審民事判決進行實證分析研究，觀察權利人在訴訟中如何主張其權利、運用保密條款及勝敗比例等實務現況。根據判決分析結果，分別就實體法及訴訟程序兩個面向，說明影響營業秘密損害賠償訴訟勝訴率及法院判賠金額的可能原因。在實體法方面，請求權基礎及損害賠償額計算方式的選擇是影響訴訟走向的關鍵；在程序法方面，由於營業秘密訴訟常有證據不易呈現或證據偏在行為人一方的情形，舉證責任的分配足以影響訴訟結果。另以此為基礎，觀察2023年修正的智慧財產案件審理法是否能改善實務上所面臨的困境。 最後，本文根據研究心得，分別針對當事人、法院以及制度部分提出建議，希望透過相應的措施或策略調整，提升營業秘密民事訴訟的實效。

Trade secrets play an important role in commercial activities. As international trade becomes more and more active, the protection of trade secrets not only affects the market competitiveness of individual enterprises, but also relates to the economic development of a country . Taiwan enacted the Trade Secrets Act in 1995, which initially contained only civil regulations. In 2013, the law was amended to include criminal penalties. By 2022, trade secrets classified as “core national key technologies” were incorporated into the National Security Act, raising their protection to the level of national security and imposing stricter criminal responsibilities to prevent theft by external forces. This development is a responds to changes in geopolitical dynamics and intense competition in the technology sector and reflects concerns about the inadequacy of protection provided by civil litigation. This paper focuses on compensation for damages resulting from the infringement of trade secrets. It first analyzes the trade secret laws in Europe and the United States, examining the major regulations in the European Union, France, Germany, and the United States, and summarizes the similarities and differences with Taiwan's Trade Secrets Act. The main differences identified include regulations on reasonable royalty , damages for mental distress, punitive damages, and attorneys' fees. In addition, this study conducts empirical research on first-instance civil judgments in Taiwan from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2023,observing how rights holders assert their rights in litigation, the use of confidentiality clauses, and the ratios of victories and losses. Based on the analysis of the judgments, possible reasons influencing the success rates of trade secret litigation and the amounts awarded by courts are discussed from both substantive and procedural perspectives. In terms of substantive law, the choice of the claim rights and the calculation of damages are key factors influencing the course of litigation. In procedural law, the difficulty of presenting evidence or the predominance of evidence in the hands of the infringer have a significant impact on the outcome of litigation due to the allocation of the burden of proof. Furthermore, this analysis considers whether the amendments to the Intellectual Property Case Adjudication Act in 2023 can alleviate the practical difficulties faced in this area. Finally, based on the research findings, this paper makes recommendations for parties, courts, and the institutional framework, hoping that appropriate measures or strategic adjustments can enhance the effectiveness of civil litigation regarding trade secrets.