After much development and deliberation, the newly created Trade Secrets Directive will in the next few weeks come into force in all European Union member states.
Nearly three weeks after the European Council unanimously adopted the directive, it was published in the Official Journal.
Following Article 20 of the directive, that stated that it shall come into force twenty days after it was officially published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Therefore, as it was published on Wednesday 15th June, the official enforcement date will be the 5th July 2016.
Of course the true impact of this Directive on the UK will be determined by the Referendum due to take place on the 23rd June. It is unknown whether any of the DirectiveÂs objectives will still be adopted into UK law through a different source if the outcome of the referendum is a Brexit victory.
As highlighted by many, the UKÂs future in terms of IP following the possibility of an EU exit is uncertain therefore it is certainly an event to watch to see what might unfold.
