The conversation pivots to patents when tech startups talk IP. Patents are the 'big daddy' signals of tangible, visible defensibility in a pitch deck and investor discussions. After all, tech insights are the jet fuel of tech startups. Sometimes those tech insights...
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Why are trade secrets becoming more important in the AI era? The rapid rise of artificial intelligence is changing how companies create, use, and protect intellectual property. While patents remain a critical part of an IP strategy, they are not always the best way to...
What is a holistic IP portfolio? A holistic IP portfolio is a coordinated strategy for protecting all forms of a company’s intellectual property, from patents and copyrights to trade secrets and proprietary information, in a way that strengthens business value and...
What is trade secret law? Trade secret law protects confidential business information that provides a competitive advantage. This can include formulas, processes, algorithms, designs, customer lists, data models, or any other valuable information that is not publicly...
An Introduction to what is a patent A patent is a government-granted right that gives an inventor exclusive control over a new and useful invention for a limited period of time. In exchange, the inventor must publicly disclose how the invention works. Patents are a...
There’s a lot of discussion about American companies and citizens risking their trade secrets by using AI based in China. What about Chinese companies? How do they protect their own trade secrets against misappropriation from other Chinese domestic companies seeking...
If DTSA is so fantastic, why do we still see some trade secret cases argued at state courts instead of federal? Great question!
Why Amazon, Meta, and Apple invest in trade secret protection The world’s most influential tech companies know that not every competitive advantage can or should be patented. Many of their most valuable innovations are never disclosed. Instead, they rely on trade...
It is a great idea to understand what your trade secrets are and document them. If you don’t define trade secret assets, it is difficult to know when they have been stolen, and it is increasingly difficult or even impossible to enforce your rights against people who steal them under the Uniform Trade Secrets Act.
What companies like Tesla, Google, and Moderna keep secret Not every breakthrough is patented. Some of the most valuable innovations in the world are never disclosed at all. Companies like Tesla, Google, and Moderna rely on trade secrets to protect the know-how that...
What are trade secrets and why should companies protect them? Trade secrets are a form of intellectual property that give a company a competitive advantage because they are not publicly known. They can include proprietary information such as formulas, algorithms,...
How does Coca-Cola protect its recipe? Coca-Cola’s formula is one of the most famous trade secrets in the world. Unlike a patent, which requires public disclosure in exchange for exclusivity, Coca-Cola has opted for secrecy. That decision has shaped its strategy for...
We often meet people who are concerned that any list or catalog of trade secrets might be incomplete and not contain “the one” valuable trade secret that is critical for litigation. These people often suggest that doing “nothing” is better than imperfectly doing “something”. This is driven out of fear that a defendant in a trade secret lawsuit could argue that since “the one” was not in the catalog or list, it is therefore not a trade secret.
Tangibly, Inc., the leading SaaS trade secret management platform, today announced the launch of its consulting services offering. Designed to complement its trade secret software, the services are in response from customer feedback and requests for more personalized bespoke engagements with Tangibly specialists.
Trade secrets continue to gain attention and value, particularly with growing uncertainty around the enforceability of non-compete agreements. Recent rules announced by the US Federal Trade Commission raise serious questions about the utility of these agreements. Historically, many companies relied on non-compete agreements as an indirect method of protecting valuable company confidential information and trade secrets. Without such agreements, companies will have to directly protect their confidential information and trade secrets. This sea change represents a major shift in the strategy by which companies protect their valuable intellectual property assets.
On April 23, 2024, the US FTC issued a rule effectively barring most non-compete agreements across all 50 states. The very next day, the US Chamber of Commerce sued the FTC, alleging that the FTC exceeded the scope of its rulemaking powers. This battle will be interesting to watch!
Non-compete agreements limit the ability of departing workers to go to a competing company. The agreements vary widely in coverage. Some define competing companies very broadly, and some have a specific list of companies.
Tangibly was proud sponsor of the recent webinar hosted by IPWatchdog, focused on Trade Secrets; Identifying and Protecting Unrealized Confidential Assets. The webinar turned out to be a wide-ranged conversation about trade secrets and what companies can and should be doing to protect valuable confidential information. The discussion was joined by James Pooley, an IP litigator and one of the foremost experts on trade secret law, Raymond Miller, Partner and US Chair of Life Sciences Patent Development & Strategy, at DLA Piper LLP, and Tim Londergan, CEO and Founder of Tangibly.