Starting on the 28th, people who report crimes involving the overseas leakage of corporations' trade secrets or who help prevent such leaks may receive rewards of up to 200 million won.
The Ministry of Intellectual Property said it will enforce, starting on the 28th, the partial amendment to the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act and its subordinate enforcement decree and rules, whose main feature is the introduction of a reward system for reporting overseas leakage of trade secrets.
Under the previous Unfair Competition Prevention Act, rewards could be paid only for reporting counterfeit goods. With this amendment, the scope of reward recipients is expanded beyond those who report crimes involving the overseas leakage of corporations' trade secrets to include people who provide crucial leads for related investigations or who contribute to preventing leaks.
Under the amended regulations, a person who reports to the Ministry of Intellectual Property a crime involving the overseas leakage of trade secrets, or someone deemed to have made a significant contribution during the ministry's investigation, may receive a reward of up to 200 million won. Whether to pay a reward and the amount will be determined after a comprehensive review of whether the report served as an actual lead for the investigation and the extent to which the person contributed to preventing the leak.
The Ministry of Intellectual Property expects the new reward program for reports to help detect crimes involving the overseas leakage of trade secrets early and reduce harm.
Kim Yong-seon, head of the Ministry of Intellectual Property, said, "The overseas leakage of trade secrets is a serious crime that can affect national competitiveness and economic security," adding, "Public tips can play an important role in protecting our technology."