Trade Secret

A trade secret is extremely valuable to a business, and protecting trade secret are sometimes the first priority for businesses. There are two major categories of trade secret, the first is information that cannot be qualified for patent or copyright registration. These might include company’s client list, supplier or source of products, financial information, future development plan, merger and acquisition, etc. The other category is information that may be qualified for patent or copyright registration. This may include design, formula, some computer programming codes, etc.

However, sometimes business might not want to apply for the patent even if the information is qualified, because the patent application cannot protect the information for 20 years, and after that, it will become public knowledge because all blueprint, formula, information that are used in the application process became public documents. This is why some company will resort to trade secret to protect their valuable information. We will use our professional knowledge to help our client decide which is the best way to ensure the confidentiality of the information and the best way to protect their business.

In addition, we will also help our client draft non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement. We will individualize each agreement for our client’s specific needs and ensure the most strict protections for our client.