Revelation of industrial secrets, A292 Revised Penal Code

1. Concept Revelation of industrial secrets – under the Revised Penal Code, refers to the crime of revealing industrial secrets of a manufacturing or industrial establishment. a. Legal basis Art. 292. Revelation of industrial secrets. - The penalty of prisión correccional in its minimum and medium periods and a fine not exceeding One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000) shall be imposed upon the person in charge, employee or workman of any manufacturing or industrial establishment who, to the prejudice of the owner thereof, shall reveal the secrets of the industry of the latter. (As amended by R.A. 10951) (Revised Penal Code) b. Purpose [T]he Revised Penal Code endows a cloak of protection to trade secrets under [Article 291 and 292]. (Air Philippines Corporation v. Pennswell, Inc., G.R. No. 172835, December 13 2007, Per Chico-Nazario, J.) [I]n accordance with our statutory laws, this Court has declared that intellectual and industrial property rights cases are not simple property cases. Without limiting such industrial property rights to trademarks and trade names, this Court has ruled that all agreements concerning intellectual property are intimately connected with economic development. The protection of industrial property encourages investments in new ideas and inventions and stimulates creative efforts for the satisfaction of human needs. It speeds up transfer of technology and industrialization, and thereby bring about social and economic progress. Verily, the protection ...