What is the difference between copyright and trade secret protection?

Copyright and trade secret protection are two different forms of intellectual property law in Mississippi. Copyright law protects creative works, such as books, music, films, artistic works, and software. It grants the right to reproduce, sell, publicly perform, and create derivative works from the same material. Copyright protection begins as soon as an original creative work is created and is typically enforced by the copyright holder. Trade secret protection is a form of protection for confidential information that gives a business a competitive edge. Unlike copyright, trade secret protection is not granted automatically. Instead, the owner of the information must take certain steps to protect it, such as properly marking it as confidential and strictly controlling who has access to it. Unlike copyright, trade secret protection does not have a time limit; it lasts as long as the information is kept secret and does not become public knowledge. In summary, the main difference between copyright and trade secret protection is that copyright protection is automatically granted to an original work and lasts for a certain period of time, while trade secret protection is only granted if the owner of the information takes certain steps to keep it confidential. Additionally, trade secret protection can last indefinitely as long as the information remains secret, while copyright protection can eventually expire.

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