[Resumo] Os coñecementos en materia de saber-facer ou know-how e a rede de clientes das empresas son dous activos cruciais no desenvolvemento da competencia dentro de calquera sector de actividade.
Ora ben, estes importantes activos están sobre todo en mans dos empregados que as empresas contratan, xa que forman parte substancial das súas ferramentas de traballo, alén de que se trata de activos que se van desenvolvendo continuamente co propio exercicio empresarial. Que estes intanxibles caesen nas mans de empresas competidoras podería supoñer un importante quebranto para calquera empresa, ao facela quedar nunha posición competitiva feble fronte a terceiros.
Así, a protección destes coñecementos fronte a súa posible explotación por parte de empresas competidoras está regulada polas normas xurídicas. Tal protección ten como compoñente máis importante os acordos entre as empresas e os traballadores polos cales estes se comprometen a salvagardar os devanditos activos e absterse a prestar os seus servizos a outra empresa do sector durante un tempo determinado. Neste traballo analízase tal situación, á luz da regulación española sobre a materia.[Abstract] The expertise or know-how of the companies as well as their network of customers, are a crucial tool to successfully develop competition within a particular business environment. These important assets owned by companies, are, however, in the hands of hired employees, as these assets are a substantial part of their working tools: In addition, these assets continuously develop within the entrepreneurial exercise itself. If these intangibles fall into the hands of competitors, it could be a significant loss for the company putting it in a weak competitive position against third parties.
The protection of such knowledge against possible exploitation by competitors is regulated by the legal rules of different countries. Such protection is an important part of the agreements between employer and employee, where they commit to safeguard these assets by abstaining from providing their services to another company operating in the same sector for a certain time. This paper analyses this issue in light of the Spanish regulation on the matte
