Penalties: Confidential Informations
The article 47 of Patent Law: Whoever – by virtue of his status, position or art – knows confidential industrial or commercial information, and discloses it without valid reason, or uses it for his or somebody else's benefit, shall be penalized by the punishment provided for under Article Forty two above. (5 millions Lebanese pounds and the imprisonment form 3 months to 3 years or one of these two penalties)
To enforce this article, the following are stipulated:
1) The owner of such information shall have lawfully obtained it.
2) The industrial or commercial value of this information shall be resulting from its confidentiality.
3) The owner of such information shall have taken appropriate precautions to maintain its confidentiality.
Manufacturing procedures as well as research and test results shall be regarded as confidential information.
The secret information rendered to public departments upon obtaining of licenses to handle pharmaceutical formulations and chemicals products used in agriculture are prohibited to be used for illicit commercial purposes.
- it is also prohibited to disclose these information, as long as the protection of the public does not otherwise require.