Trade secrets for beginners

Abstract

‘A book may be good for nothing; or there may be only one thing in it worth knowing; are we to read it all through?’ (Samuel Johnson) This section is dedicated to the review of ideas, articles, books, films and other media. It will include replies (and rejoinders) to articles, the evaluation of new ideas or proposals, and reviews of books and articles both directly and indirectly related to intellectual property law. From military data to candy bar recipes, from process of production of a pharmaceutical to sales margins used by the company, to the list of customers of a manufacturer, trade secrets are all around and intertwine into nearly every aspect of our lives, and most certainly into the lives of companies. The growing pace of development characterizing any knowledge-based economy makes information a particularly valuable commodity. Another priceless component of the modern market is still the human being: a skilled employee, an external expert, a service provider, a business partner. Taking into account the intangible and ubiquitous character of data and the accessibility of modern copying techniques, the control over access and use of the secret information proves a difficult task, which may decide on the success or failure of a company. This makes the area of trade secret law particularly relevant to everyone—not only to government security experts or lawyers litigating trade secret disputes—as almost everyone is constantly being exposed to information which may qualify as his or her employer's or business partner's trade secret.