Konkurrensklausuler - En översikt av Sverige och USA
(2014) LAGF03 20141Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- En konkurrensklausul eller a covenant not to compete, utgör vad man kallar för negativ avtalsförpliktelse och används idag av företag, vilka har ett intresse av hindra att en upparbetad eller förvärvad kunskapsbank om exempelvis avancerad produkt- och metodutveckling; så kallad know how och annan vital information kommer till konkurrerande intressen kännedom.
Genom att använda sig av konkurrensklausuler i anställningsavtal eller vid avtal om överlåtelse av en näringsverksamhet, försäkrar sig arbetsgivare och förvärvande företag i Sverige och i USA, om att en tidigare anställd eller säljaren inte utnyttjar know how och upparbetade kundrelationer på ett otillbörligt sätt.
Konkurrensklausuler är i såväl Sverige som i USA, en i huvudsak... (More) - En konkurrensklausul eller a covenant not to compete, utgör vad man kallar för negativ avtalsförpliktelse och används idag av företag, vilka har ett intresse av hindra att en upparbetad eller förvärvad kunskapsbank om exempelvis avancerad produkt- och metodutveckling; så kallad know how och annan vital information kommer till konkurrerande intressen kännedom.
Genom att använda sig av konkurrensklausuler i anställningsavtal eller vid avtal om överlåtelse av en näringsverksamhet, försäkrar sig arbetsgivare och förvärvande företag i Sverige och i USA, om att en tidigare anställd eller säljaren inte utnyttjar know how och upparbetade kundrelationer på ett otillbörligt sätt.
Konkurrensklausuler är i såväl Sverige som i USA, en i huvudsak accepterad form av konkurrensbegränsning, men inom båda rättsordningarna ställs krav på att såväl den berättigades intresse av att kunna erhålla skydd mot otillbörlig konkurrens, som den förpliktigades möjligheter att kunna försörja sig, beaktas vid bedömningen av om en konkurrensklausul ska anses tillåten eller inte.
Bedömningen tar dock sin utgångspunkt i olika regelkomplex. Medan den intresseavvägning som görs i USA, utgår från konkurrensrättsliga regelverk och principer, görs i Sverige en bedömning utifrån avtalsinstitutets skälighetskriterium.
Vidare är den amerikanska rättsordningen fragmenterad och utgörs i praktiken av femtio olika rättsordningar. Således är det svårt att förutsäga huruvida en konkurrensklausul kommer upprätthållas i det enskilda fallet.
Detta gör det svårt för att inte säga omöjligt att avgöra vilken av de två rättsordningarna som mer än den andre, erkänner konkurrensklausulen som ett legitimt konkurrensbegränsande avtalsvillkor. (Less) - Abstract
- A non-compete clause or a covenant not to compete, is what is also called a negative contractual obligation. These form of contractual restraints are used by employers and business holders which have an interest in preventing competing interests from getting hold of, by the employer or business holder, established or acquired knowledge about, for example, advanced product and method development; know-how and other vital information.
The use of non-competition clauses in employment contracts or agreements on the transfer of a business, ensures employers and acquiring companies in Sweden and the United States, that former employees or the seller of a business do not use know how or established customer relationships, that are by any means... (More) - A non-compete clause or a covenant not to compete, is what is also called a negative contractual obligation. These form of contractual restraints are used by employers and business holders which have an interest in preventing competing interests from getting hold of, by the employer or business holder, established or acquired knowledge about, for example, advanced product and method development; know-how and other vital information.
The use of non-competition clauses in employment contracts or agreements on the transfer of a business, ensures employers and acquiring companies in Sweden and the United States, that former employees or the seller of a business do not use know how or established customer relationships, that are by any means inappropriate.
Non-competition clauses are generally an accepted form of competition in both Sweden and the United States. With that being sad, both jurisdictions requires that the beneficiaries' interest in obtaining protection against unfair competition as well as the interest of the person obligated to comply with the clause, are considered when assessing whether a non-compete clause should be permitted or not.
The assessments however, are based on various regulatory complexes. While US courts in general, uses a system of balancing the interests of the affected parties, based on competition law and to that law associated principles, Swedish courts favour the practice of rules of fairness in agreements.
Further, the nature of the United States legal system with practically fifty different legal regimes, makes it is difficult to predict whether a non-compete clause will be uphold in each case.
This makes it difficult if not impossible to determine in which of the two legal systems a covenant not to compete more likely will be recognized as a legitimate anti-competitive contract terms. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/4449873
- author
- Rönström, Henning LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- LAGF03 20141
- year
- 2014
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- Komparativ rätt, comparative law, avtalsrätt, civilrätt, private law, konkurrensklausuler, covenants not to compete, USA
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 4449873
- date added to LUP
- 2014-06-24 10:47:21
- date last changed
- 2014-06-24 10:47:21
@misc{4449873,
abstract = {{A non-compete clause or a covenant not to compete, is what is also called a negative contractual obligation. These form of contractual restraints are used by employers and business holders which have an interest in preventing competing interests from getting hold of, by the employer or business holder, established or acquired knowledge about, for example, advanced product and method development; know-how and other vital information.
The use of non-competition clauses in employment contracts or agreements on the transfer of a business, ensures employers and acquiring companies in Sweden and the United States, that former employees or the seller of a business do not use know how or established customer relationships, that are by any means inappropriate.
Non-competition clauses are generally an accepted form of competition in both Sweden and the United States. With that being sad, both jurisdictions requires that the beneficiaries' interest in obtaining protection against unfair competition as well as the interest of the person obligated to comply with the clause, are considered when assessing whether a non-compete clause should be permitted or not.
The assessments however, are based on various regulatory complexes. While US courts in general, uses a system of balancing the interests of the affected parties, based on competition law and to that law associated principles, Swedish courts favour the practice of rules of fairness in agreements.
Further, the nature of the United States legal system with practically fifty different legal regimes, makes it is difficult to predict whether a non-compete clause will be uphold in each case.
This makes it difficult if not impossible to determine in which of the two legal systems a covenant not to compete more likely will be recognized as a legitimate anti-competitive contract terms.}},
author = {{Rönström, Henning}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Konkurrensklausuler - En översikt av Sverige och USA}},
year = {{2014}},
}