Bitkom's guide should help

Concerns about legal violations and lawsuits are one of the biggest obstacles to the spread of Industrie 4.0, according to a representative survey of more than 500 industrial companies commissioned by the digital association Bitkom. According to the survey, four out of ten respondents (40%) say that a lack of a legal framework is hampering the use of Industrie 4.0 in their company. A guide recently published by Bitkom is intended to remedy the situation, as the digital association emphasizes. Particular attention is being paid to the handling of data generated in networked production:

• For what purposes may product and production data be used, by whom and under what conditions?
• Which data protection regulations must be observed when handling personal data?
• What are the obligations of the operator of a networked plant with regard to IT security?
• And who is liable in the event of a cyberattack?

These and other questions are addressed in the guide "Legal aspects of Industrie 4.0". "Industry 4.0 is still uncharted territory, even in legal terms. The biggest challenge from a legal perspective is to find a balance between the interests of different parties," says Thomas Kriesel, head of corporate law at Bitkom. For example, he says, a producer has a great interest in the data that a product sends after delivery, as this could help improve quality. However, data protection regulations would also have to be observed here, Bitkom. "We use concrete application scenarios to show which laws must be observed in the networked industry and provide concrete practical advice."

The guide is aimed at decision-makers in industry and IT companies. It is available free of charge here. The publication is a preliminary version of a more comprehensive publication planned for fall 2016. In the final version, further areas of law will be covered and the presentation of legal contexts will be deepened, as Bitkom writes.