5. Conclusion

Privacy policies can be a double-edged sword. They are of the utmost importance in companies with only summary procedures, or where such measures are totally absent. However, in companies that already have restrictive confidentiality circles in place, the introduction of additional measures can have a detrimental effect, in particular by giving rise to the withholding of information on the part of employees. Indeed, by informing players that the data they hold has a significant economic value, they may be tempted to keep it before it reaches internal distribution systems. This policy of omerta must not be allowed to hinder research projects, whether within a laboratory or in the context of collaborative projects. While there are many ways in which research can be hampered by a lack of exploitation of know-how, excessive protection can also limit the latter.

However,...