A COMMENT ON DRAFTING CORPORATE

A COMMENT ON DRAFTING CORPORATE COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE POLICIES

There are many forms of corporate Competitive Intelligence policies. See Competitive Intelligence Ethics: Navigating the Gray Zone published (2006) by the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. There are also differing views on how detailed CI policies should be.

A company wishing to detail prohibited activities in its policy should include the following:

(1) Bribery and theft;

(2) Electronic eavesdropping or wiretapping;

(3) Trespassing;

(4) Misrepresenting your identity or that of your company;

(5) Inducing another to violate his duty of confidentiality to his current or former employer;

(6) Accepting trade secret or proprietary information through a confidential relationship which you then violate;

(7) Accepting trade secret or proprietary information from another knowing it was obtained through a violation of law.