When companies appropriate know-how: recourse to the law and appropriation

This text explores the appropriation of know-how by businesses. It presents the evolution of French legislation and company rules, including collective agreements, that have codified questions relating to inventions by employees. It then analyzes more generally the processes by which workers’ know-how is appropriated. The article highlights the different conventions available for the attribution of intellectual property rights, as well as their transformation, in particular in relation to digital technologies.