Data privacy rights test in Rubis, Gulf buyout dispute
More at Business Daily https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/data-privacy-righ... If you buy somebody’s computer and recover deleted data, do you own that information, and can you use it to make a claim against the seller? A bitter dispute between Gulf Energy and Rubis Energy has broken out, and is expected to answer that question as well as offer a guide to future cases regarding data privacy. “By notice of warranty claim dated March 3, 2021 the respondent alleged, inter alia, that with the assistance of data recovery specialists and through advanced data mining techniques, it had recovered information from the server and previously formatted PCs and laptops, information relating to the entire business of the petitioner,” Gulf Energy adds. The data recovered included audited statements, financial records and emails relating to Gulf Energy’s business. The French multinational thought it had bagged a steep discount when it paid €129 million (Sh16.4 billion) for key assets owned by Gulf Energy, but an analysis of the goods it bought has left both companies pointing accusing fingers at one another while shouting fraud. Rubis reportedly activated a price reduction clause in the sale agreement that saved it €10 million (Sh1.2 billion). Before handing over physical assets to Rubis, Gulf Energy erased all data from computers through formatting. But aggressive data recovery methods used by Rubis led the French multinational to conclude that Gulf Energy had overstated the value of the assets. Rubis has used the information it recovered from computers acquired in the asset sale to claim a refund of Sh4.1 billion, with a disclaimer that the demand may rise depending on what further analysis of information obtained reveals. The French firm also wants Gulf Energy to provide more financial records up to 2019 to enable further analysis. To wriggle out of the refund claim, Gulf Energy has filed a suit against Rubis, citing privacy violations in the use of the recovered data. It wants the High Court to stop Rubis from using the information to claim any refunds. Gulf Energy insists that the data recovered was not part of information that was to be exchanged between the two companies during negotiations over the assets acquisition.
@Mwendwa Kivuva <kivuva@kictanet.or.ke> interesting case that will set precedence. Very valid and pertinent issues being discussed. Technology will certainly raise the threshold of accountability. Increased automation will certainly reduce monkey business. Regards On Sat, 25 Sep 2021, 11:00 pm Mwendwa Kivuva via KICTANet, < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
More at Business Daily https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/data-privacy-righ...
If you buy somebody’s computer and recover deleted data, do you own that information, and can you use it to make a claim against the seller?
A bitter dispute between Gulf Energy and Rubis Energy has broken out, and is expected to answer that question as well as offer a guide to future cases regarding data privacy.
“By notice of warranty claim dated March 3, 2021 the respondent alleged, inter alia, that with the assistance of data recovery specialists and through advanced data mining techniques, it had recovered information from the server and previously formatted PCs and laptops, information relating to the entire business of the petitioner,” Gulf Energy adds.
The data recovered included audited statements, financial records and emails relating to Gulf Energy’s business.
The French multinational thought it had bagged a steep discount when it paid €129 million (Sh16.4 billion) for key assets owned by Gulf Energy, but an analysis of the goods it bought has left both companies pointing accusing fingers at one another while shouting fraud.
Rubis reportedly activated a price reduction clause in the sale agreement that saved it €10 million (Sh1.2 billion).
Before handing over physical assets to Rubis, Gulf Energy erased all data from computers through formatting.
But aggressive data recovery methods used by Rubis led the French multinational to conclude that Gulf Energy had overstated the value of the assets.
Rubis has used the information it recovered from computers acquired in the asset sale to claim a refund of Sh4.1 billion, with a disclaimer that the demand may rise depending on what further analysis of information obtained reveals.
The French firm also wants Gulf Energy to provide more financial records up to 2019 to enable further analysis.
To wriggle out of the refund claim, Gulf Energy has filed a suit against Rubis, citing privacy violations in the use of the recovered data. It wants the High Court to stop Rubis from using the information to claim any refunds.
Gulf Energy insists that the data recovered was not part of information that was to be exchanged between the two companies during negotiations over the assets acquisition. _______________________________________________ KICTANet mailing list KICTANet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/
Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/barrack%40kictanet.or....
KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. KICTANet is a catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector. Its work is guided by four pillars of Policy Advocacy, Capacity Building, Research, and Stakeholder Engagement.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
KICTANet - The Power of Communities, is Kenya's premier ICT policy engagement platform.
@Kivuva and all This is indeed an interesting case. However, like most things tech and digital what we seem to forget as we waddle in the digital space is that honesty is honesty. And dishonesty is dishonesty. Period. There's also the issue of DD (Due Diligence). Reading the case it seems to me that somebody didn't do his homework at Rubis. Basic Due Diligence would have uncovered this stuff... Be that as it may, this case does create precedence. Regards *Ali Hussein* Digital Transformation Tel: +254 713 601113 Twitter: @AliHKassim Skype: abu-jomo LinkedIn: http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/alihkassim> Any information of a personal nature expressed in this email are purely mine and do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the organizations that I work with. On Sat, Sep 25, 2021 at 11:00 PM Mwendwa Kivuva via KICTANet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
More at Business Daily https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/corporate/companies/data-privacy-righ...
If you buy somebody’s computer and recover deleted data, do you own that information, and can you use it to make a claim against the seller?
A bitter dispute between Gulf Energy and Rubis Energy has broken out, and is expected to answer that question as well as offer a guide to future cases regarding data privacy.
“By notice of warranty claim dated March 3, 2021 the respondent alleged, inter alia, that with the assistance of data recovery specialists and through advanced data mining techniques, it had recovered information from the server and previously formatted PCs and laptops, information relating to the entire business of the petitioner,” Gulf Energy adds.
The data recovered included audited statements, financial records and emails relating to Gulf Energy’s business.
The French multinational thought it had bagged a steep discount when it paid €129 million (Sh16.4 billion) for key assets owned by Gulf Energy, but an analysis of the goods it bought has left both companies pointing accusing fingers at one another while shouting fraud.
Rubis reportedly activated a price reduction clause in the sale agreement that saved it €10 million (Sh1.2 billion).
Before handing over physical assets to Rubis, Gulf Energy erased all data from computers through formatting.
But aggressive data recovery methods used by Rubis led the French multinational to conclude that Gulf Energy had overstated the value of the assets.
Rubis has used the information it recovered from computers acquired in the asset sale to claim a refund of Sh4.1 billion, with a disclaimer that the demand may rise depending on what further analysis of information obtained reveals.
The French firm also wants Gulf Energy to provide more financial records up to 2019 to enable further analysis.
To wriggle out of the refund claim, Gulf Energy has filed a suit against Rubis, citing privacy violations in the use of the recovered data. It wants the High Court to stop Rubis from using the information to claim any refunds.
Gulf Energy insists that the data recovered was not part of information that was to be exchanged between the two companies during negotiations over the assets acquisition. _______________________________________________ KICTANet mailing list KICTANet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Twitter: http://twitter.com/kictanet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KICTANet/
Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/info%40alyhussein.com
KICTANet is a multi-stakeholder Think Tank for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. KICTANet is a catalyst for reform in the Information and Communication Technology sector. Its work is guided by four pillars of Policy Advocacy, Capacity Building, Research, and Stakeholder Engagement.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
KICTANet - The Power of Communities, is Kenya's premier ICT policy engagement platform.
participants (3)
-
Ali Hussein -
Barrack Otieno -
Mwendwa Kivuva