Trade Secrets

Trade secrets, unlike the other intellectual property rights expressed above, are typically the creatures of written agreements and sometimes, related state statutes. Trade secret laws do not arise under the U.S. Constitution or through federal laws. Typically, a trade secret pertains to a formula, practice, process, design, pattern, or compilation that is generally not known to the public, confines the right kind of economic benefit to its holder, and whose holder used reasonable security efforts to protect it.