What types of information qualify as trade secrets?

In California, trade secrets are defined as any information that has economic value and gives a business an advantage over their competitors. Trade secrets must also be kept confidential and must not be accessible to the public. Some examples of information that can qualify as trade secrets include business strategies and plans, customer lists, sales methods, pricing information, product designs, and manufacturing processes. Trade secrets can also include confidential computer algorithms, software code, and computer databases that contain trade secret information. Additionally, trade secrets can include processes, methods, recipes, or formulas that are unique to the business and not known to the public. It is important to note that trade secret protection applies to information that is kept confidential and secret. Information that becomes public or is known to competitors cannot be protected as a trade secret. Therefore, businesses must take steps to become proactive in protecting their trade secrets. Companies should have written agreements with employees and contractors that state they are responsible for keeping the company’s trade secrets confidential and not disclosing them to competitors. Additionally, businesses should designate certain areas of the workplace that can only be accessed by authorized personnel, and they should also secure trade secret information with passwords or encryption.

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