Social Media: IP, Labor & Employment and Privacy Questions

Social media is everywhere. Just look at the increasing references to Twitter in the news, the professional relations managed on LinkedIn and of course the ubiquitous Facebook. Thanks (or due) to its connecting power, almost everyone is confronted with some form of social media on a daily basis. How can a company take full advantage of these tools while avoiding the pitfalls resulting from their inappropriate use? This is the initial question that prompted the organization of this lunch seminar.

The selected subject matters relate to three different areas of law: intellectual property, labor and privacy. The first presentation will list do’s and don’ts related to the development of a company website or Facebook page, and explain how to act against online infringements of intellectual property rights. This will be followed by an overview of applicable privacy rules when companies want to use social media in relation to their business activities and social relations. In a last part, we will address various labor & employment law issues:  What are the rights and liabilities of employees when giving their opinion about their company via social media? Under what conditions can an employer use information found via social media websites against an employee? Can a company be held responsible for statements made online by its employees?

12:00 pm
Welcome and lunch

12:30 pm
IP Rights and Social Media, presented by Christian Dekoninck
Privacy Rules and Social Media, presented by Frederik Van Remoortel
Social Media at Work, presented by Emmanuel Plasschaert

01:30 pm
Q&A

02:00 pm
End