What is the difference between copyright and trade secret protection?

Copyright and trade secret protection are two different forms of intellectual property law in Washington. Copyright is a form of protection that gives the author or creator of an original work the exclusive right to reproduce, display, and distribute the work. Copyright protection also extends to literary, musical, dramatic, and other creative works like movies and books. Trade secret protection is different in that it applies to information that is not generally known or available to the public. Trade secrets are valuable because they help a company maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace; a trade secret can be a valuable recipe, process, or formula that a company does not want anyone else to know about. The two forms of protection differ in how they are applied. Copyright protection comes into effect once an original work is created, and it does not expire unless the work is transferred to another person or company. Trade secret protection, on the other hand, is not automatically applied; a company must take specific steps to protect and keep a trade secret confidential. In addition, while copyright protection lasts for a specific period of time, the duration of a trade secret is indefinite, as long as the company protect it and keep it confidential.

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