Trade secrets play an important, yet somewhat surprisingly low
key, role in intellectual property (IP) law. In this article, we
discuss a recent trade secrets case in China. We will follow that
up with a brief overview of the law regarding trade secrets in
South Africa.
China
The case we're discussing involved the Chinese
company...
Guibao Technology
Guibao Technology is a silicon chemical technology company that
is, according to a report, a 'leader in producing silane
coupling agents in the fine chemical sector'.
Restless employees and new opportunities
Several Guibao employees who were involved in production,
research and development (R&D) and sales decided to leave the
company and join a start-up competitor. Things went well for the
new company, but the move had a negative impact on Guibao, both in
terms of sales and pricing – a news article talks of a
'huge loss in profits'. I think we can safely say
that, as a result of the defections, Guibao took
