What types of information qualify as trade secrets?
In Arizona, trade secrets are defined as information that: 1) is not generally known or readily ascertainable by proper means; 2) can confer a business advantage or economic benefit on its owner; and 3) is the subject of reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy. This includes confidential business information such as formulas, processes, plans, patterns, customer lists, recipes, pricing strategies, and trading strategies, among other things. It also covers things such as computer programs, designs, computer source code, and software algorithms. In addition, trade secrets can include information related to scientific experiments, financial data, manufacturing strategies, marketing plans, technical drawings, research and development projects, and any customer or vendor list that has been created as a result of investments of time and resources. Finally, trade secrets may also include information that, while generally known, provides an economic advantage to the owner and has been kept secret through reasonable efforts. For example, if a company has a unique production process that is not widely known, that could be considered a trade secret. In Arizona, trade secrets are generally given broad protection, provided that reasonable steps were taken to maintain their secrecy. Trade secrets can remain protected for long periods of time, and the owner may take legal action against anyone who misappropriates or misuses them.
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