The precise language by which a trade secret is defined varies by jurisdiction, as do the particular types of … See more

Trade secrets are an important, but invisible component of a company's intellectual property (IP). Their contribution to a company's value, measured as its market capitalization, can be major. Being invisible, th… See more

In contrast to registered intellectual property, trade secrets are, by definition, not disclosed to the world at large. Instead, owners of trade secrets seek to protect trade secret information from competitors by institutin… See more

Companies often try to discover one another's trade secrets through lawful methods of reverse engineering or employee poaching, and potentially unlawful methods including industrial espionage. Acts of industrial e… See more

Commentators starting with A. Arthur Schiller assert that trade secrets were protected under Roman law by a claim known as actio servi corrupti, interpreted as an "action for making a slave worse" (or an action for c… See more

In Commonwealth common law jurisdictions, confidentiality and trade secrets are regarded as an equitable right rather than a property right.
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales in the case … See more

In the United States, trade secrets are not protected by law in the same way as patents or trademarks. Historically, trademarks and patents are protected under federal statutes, the Lanham Act and Patent Act, respectivel… See more