Milan/Online, 31 October 2025
After LES Italy General Assembly, we are pleased to organize an international conference on “The Protection of Know-How and Trade Secrets: A Cross-Border Comparison of the US, Japan, China, Korea, UK, Germany and Italy, with a Focus on Reverse Engineering in the AI Context”.
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence has intensified the legal debate around know-how and trade secret protection. This conference explores how Italian and international case law (US, Japan, China, Korea, UK, and Germany) approach the boundaries between lawful acquisition, reverse engineering, and unfair competition. Special focus is given to the AI context, where training data use, contractual restrictions, and model distillation raise new risks of misappropriation. Recent disputes such as Deepseek v. OpenAI illustrate the tension between innovation and protection: is AI distillation a legitimate technical process, or a trade secret violation? By comparing divergent national approaches, the talk highlights compliance pitfalls for cross-border actors and considers whether harmonization is possible. Attendees will gain a practical framework to understand evolving legal standards, assess risks, and anticipate litigation trends in this fast-changing field.
Features speakers
The conference will conclude with closing remarks by Jean Christophe Troussel, President of LES International.
The event is free of charge and open to all.
Online access will be available for international attendees.
For additional info: media@les-italy.org
