To counter legal risks (arising from a wide variety of tax, trade, anti-trust, contractual, product-liability and environmental laws and regulations), we base our decisions on centralized contract management and our legal department’s findings. In many cases, we seek external legal advice. Patents, trademarks and licenses are monitored and protected by the Intellectual Property department. By reviewing patent regulations, we determine – before initiating R&D projects – to what extent existing third-party patents and intellectual property rights could impair the competitive marketing of any newly developed products, technologies or processes. We currently know of no potential risks that could arise from patent infringements.
We limit risks from possible legal infringements with compliance programs. WACKER’s Code of Conduct defines and stipulates binding rules of behavior for all employees. Via employee training, WACKER enhances awareness of these issues and attempts to prevent reputation-related risks.