Linkedin: To Be or Not to Be Linked, That is the Question

2015-12-22

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LINKEDIN:TOBEORNOTTOBELINKED,THATISTHEQUESTION

MARCELNAUD*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS

Withmorethan364millionusers,thebusinessnetworkingsiteLinkedIncanprovide
accesstoinformationthatwaspreviouslylessreadilyavailable,regardingaworker’s
professionalrelationships,aswellashis/herroleandresponsibilitieswithinthe
contextofabusiness.
Severalexecutiveswondertowhatextentsuchinformationpublishedbytheir
employeesaboutthemselves–orcollectedandaccumulatedonLinkedInwithregard
tocustomersandsuppliers(andthoseindividualswhoprovidesuchservices)within
thecontextoftheirwork–mayconstituteinformationthattheywouldratherhave
keptfrombeingpublicizedtopreserveitsconfidentiality,andpossiblyitsusebya
formeremployeeaftertheirdeparture.
Amongthesituationsthatmayposerisksordrawbacks,onemightconsiderthe
following:·Accessbythirdpartiestoanemployee’sLinkedIncontacts:Asweknow,a
first-degreeconnectionbetweentwoLinkedInusersallowsbothindividualsto
browseeachother’s1stdegreecontacts.
·Lossofcontroloverthemanagementofagroup:thecreatorofagroup:
onasocialnetworksitesuchasLinkedInisdefactoprovidedwithapractically
inalienablecapacitytocarryoutthemanagementofthegroup,includingthe
abilitytosendforwardedmessagesviaemailtothemembersofthisgroupeven
afterleavinghisemploymentoftentimesthisgroupwillhavebeenoriginally
launchedforthebenefitofanemployerandwiththeemployer’ssupport.
·Theimmediatechangeofemploymentnotice:assoonasauseronLinkedIn
indicatesachangeofoccupationoremployer,alluserswithwhomtheyare
connectedinthe1stdegreearelikelytobenotifiedautomatically.

Acompanyhasnointerestinhavingthenamesandaddressesofcompaniesand
individualswithwhomitsemployeesdeveloprelationshipsandinteractwithinthe
contextoftheirwork,bemadeaccessibletocompetingcompanies.Similarly,a

©CIPS,2015.*FromROBIC,LLP,amultidisciplinaryfirmofLawyers,andPatentandTrade-markAgents.Published
intheFall2015(Vol.19,no.1)Newsletterofthefirm.Publication068.196E.

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companycanderivenobenefitinlosingcontroloveraLinkedIngrouppreviouslyrun
byanemployeewithinthecontextoftheirwork,norinhavingmanyofitscustomers
andsuppliersnotifiedoftheidentityofthecompetitorforwhichaformeremployee
willworkinthedaysorweeksfollowingtheirdeparture.

Nonetheless,forinformationofthissorttoberegardedasconfidentialand
proprietarytoacompanyandforittoremainassuch,notmanyoptionsareavailable
underthelaws.Thosewishingtopreservethisconfidentialityandexclusivitymustbe
proactiveandcontractuallyobligethoseproducingandusingsuchinformationto
preserveitsconfidentialityandtosurrenderthisinformationattheendoftheir
employmentorbusinessrelationship.
Herearesomeoptionstoconsider:·Appropriateconfidentiality,non-competitionandnon-solicitationclausesbeing
includedintheemploymentcontract;
·Acompanypolicydealingwithwhatanemployeecanandcannotdoon
LinkedIninthecontextoftheiremployment(includingaccountsettings)and
dealingwiththeownershipofdataresultingfromsuchuse;
·Communicationofthispolicytotheemployees;
·Corporatepracticesconsistentwiththispolicy;
·Therighttoobtain,viadownloadingandreview,acopyofanemployee’s
LinkedInconnectionsdata,followingtheirdeparturefromthecompanyand,as
thecasemaybe,toeventuallyrequirethedeletionofthedatathatshouldnot
bethere.

Intheabsenceofadequateresources,acompanymayfinditdifficulttokeepcertain
informationconfidentialandproprietary.InQuebec,thecompanymaystillhave
certainrecoursesforexemple:
1.Anemployee’sgeneralobligationofloyaltyundertheCivilCodeofQuébecand
obligationtonotuseinformationofaconfidentialnature,obtainedwhencarryingon
orinthecourseofhis/herwork;thisobligationremainsinforceforareasonable
periodoftimefollowingatheterminationofanemploymentcontract.

2.Incertaininstances,compilationsofdatamayberecognizedasworksunderthe
CopyrightAct(i.e.,whenresultingfromtheselectionorarrangementofdatathatis
derivedfromtheskillandjudgmentoftheauthor)andhowtheemployerisdeemed
tobethefirstownerofacopyrightedworkwhenitisexecutedinthecourseofthe
author’semployment.
Bettersafethansorry

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Theproliferationofonlineservicesandtheworkingtrendwhereanemployerallows
(orrequires)thattheemployeeuseshisownelectronicdevicesforworkpurposes,
underminethecontrolacompanyhasontheinformationitmaywishtokeep
confidentialandexclusive.Forthisreason,asinmanysituations,preventionthrough
developmentofbestpracticesisessentialinreducingrelatedrisks.

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*
Forservicespertainingtointellectualproperty,technologyand
communicationlawandrelatedmatters(includingpatentandtrade-mark
agencyservices)aswellaslegalservices.

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agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892to
theprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;
biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-
how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnology
transfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityand
labelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
®/MD

COPYRIGHTER
TM/MC

IDEASLIVEHERE
®/MD

ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
®/MD

LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
®/MD

LEGERROBICRICHARD
®/MD

NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
®/MD

PATENTER
®/MD

orstylizedR
®/MD

ROBIC®/
MD

orstylizedROBIC++++
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
®/MD

orstylizedROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
®/MD

THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TM/MC

TRADEMARKER
TM/MC

VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDE
LAPLANÈTE
®/MD

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YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
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