To understand the difference between pursuing a trade secret and a patent, think for a moment about the pharmaceutical industry and Coca-Cola. A popular beverage for decades, Coca-Cola's classic recipe is one of the most famous examples of a trade secret in...
Intellectual Property
Trade secret litigation challenges First Amendment speech rights
Trade secrets gain a competitive edge over the competition. Companies will guard that advantage under lock and key and make employees sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA's). But what happens when a trade secret appears in a newspaper, newsletter or website?...
Protecting your business brand
Launching a new business is only one step toward success. Understanding your rights and the methods to protect your brand is vital for longevity. All business owners should review the documents required to ensure their brand is safe from potential threats, both...
Key elements to prove trade secret theft
Many entrepreneurs, just starting on their journey, may not give much thought to safeguarding their trade secrets. Only to realize their significance later when someone else started benefiting from their hard work. For example, a small tech startup develops a...
IP SWOT VRIO
Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the human mind. IP is recognized under the law as the fruit of invention, authorship, discovery, and education that most businesses call "innovation". IP rights are the property rights associated with innovation. A business's...
Freedom-to-Operate: How Important Is It?
When we think of the term "freedom-to-operate" in the business context, the legal, regulatory, and competitive issues associated with a business expansion quickly come to mind. The situation may be a new product introduction (NPI) or rebranding, expansion into a new...
Trade secrets: The fourth kind of intellectual property
The term “intellectual property” brings to mind patents, copyrights and trademarks. Those core protections cover a vast amount of information. And for many businesses, intellectual property (IP) is among their most valuable assets. Another valuable type Another type...
