Protection Of Trade Secrets And Confidential Information

Introduction

With the rise of the information age and growth of the knowledge economy, managing and protecting information, as well as enforcing against its misuse, have become increasingly critical to business enterprises. Aside from protecting the intellectual capital of a business through the patent, copyright and trade mark registration systems, the law further protects against misuse of confidential information, including trade secrets, to a business that takes the appropriate steps to protect such information.

A business may choose to keep certain business information confidential and to maintain trade secrets rather than seeking statutory protection through patent or copyright laws. Patents and copyright are statutorily protected for a limited time only, and only in the jurisdictions in which protection is applied for and registered. On the other hand, trade secrets and confidential