Page 19 - IP-HANDBOOK-07-2018

Trade Secret
Any confidential business information, - manufacturing, industrial and commercial secrets - which provides a company with a competitive edge can be considered a trade secret.
The information must have a commercial value.
All types of Intellectual Property began as a trade secret as long as they are not disclosed and protected by an Intellectual Property Right (IPR), such as a trademark, patent, industrial design or copyright.
As long as the information is kept secret it is protected.
The secrecy protects against theft or misuse if kept confi- dential.
The decision to keep information as a trade secret and not seeking protection through an IPR depends on the business objective and the capability of the information to be kept secret and not risking that such information may be developed independently by others. Every regis- tered right will be published and loses confidentiality.
III. Types of Intellectual Property
• Technical or commercial know-how
• Formula ( e.g. LINDT chocolate mass recipe) • Sales plans and methods, price lists
• List of suppliers and clients • Business plans
• Advertising strategies
• Market research results • Consumer profiles
• Distribution methods
19 For internal use only
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