© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: An indication with the brand of Siemens firm is on show exterior its workplace in Moscow, Russia, Might 12, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
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By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – German enterprise software program maker SAP and German engineering firm Siemens have joined U.S. tech giants in criticising draft EU legal guidelines on using information generated by sensible devices and different client items.
EU international locations and EU lawmakers are engaged on the small print of the Knowledge Act, proposed by the European Fee final yr earlier than it may be adopted as laws.
The draft legislation, masking EU client and company information, is a part of a set of laws aimed toward curbing the ability of U.S. tech giants and serving to the EU to realize its digital and inexperienced aims.
U.S. criticisms have included that the proposed legislation is just too restrictive, whereas the German firms say a provision forcing firms to share information with third events to supply aftermarket or different data-driven companies might endanger commerce secrets and techniques.
“It dangers undermining European competitiveness by mandating information sharing – together with core know-how and design information – with not solely the person, but in addition third events,” the businesses wrote in a joint letter to Fee President President Ursula von der Leyen, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager and EU industrial chief Thierry Breton.
“Successfully, this might imply that EU firms must disclose information to third-country opponents, notably these not working in Europe and towards which the Knowledge Act’s safeguards could be ineffective,” they mentioned.
Signatories to the letter dated Might 4 and seen by Reuters included the chief executives of the 2 firms, Siemens Healthineers, German medical expertise firm Brainlab, German software program firm DATEV and lobbying group DIGITALEUROPE.
The letter known as for safeguards to permit firms to refuse requests to share information the place commerce secrets and techniques, cybersecurity, well being and security are in danger and that the scope of units lined by the laws shouldn’t be prolonged.
Concerning a provision that permits prospects to modify between completely different cloud suppliers, the businesses mentioned the laws ought to protect contractual freedom by permitting prospects and suppliers to agree on contracts that work greatest for every enterprise case.
