Sherinian Law
  • call Us Today
    (630) 318-2606 | (312) 981-5004
  • Intellectual Property
  • Personal Injury
  • Commercial Litigation
  • News
  • Attorneys
  • Contact

An Overview of Trade Secrets

Home / Intellectual Property Lawyer Naperville IL / Trade Secrets / An Overview of Trade Secrets

Trade secret is the oldest form of intellectual property protection, possibly dating to Ancient Rome. While ancient, trade secret forms one of the most potent and underutilized forms of intellectual property protection. Nearly every successful business will have multiple trade secrets; for example, many law firms have templates of various documents, such as contracts or written discovery, along with guides on the use of the templates.

Most trade secret actions are governed by State Law. However, a version of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act has been adopted by every state except for Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina, all of which have similar statutes in place. To qualify as a trade secret, there must be information that is 1) used commercially; 2) is secret; and 3) that provides a competitive advantage to the person or entity with knowledge of it. Delta Medical Systems v. Mid-American Medical Systems, 772 N.E.2d 768, 790-791 (Ill. App. Ct. 1st Dist. 2002). All of the above requirements have been the subject of extensive litigation, and numerous non-intuitive legal analyses have developed. For example, larger, more wealthy businesses are held to significantly higher standards in protecting trade secrets. Jackson v. Hammer, 274 Ill. App.3d 59, 67 (Ill. App. Ct. 4th Dist. 1995).

Practically any information that provides competitive advantage is a potential trade secret. Some examples are:

  • Methods of triaging customer service complaints
  • Business development plans
  • Market studies
  • Profit forecasts
  • Marketing plans
  • Customer research
  • Bills of material with detailed cost information
  • Customer lists
  • Business overhead analyses
  • Profit margin studies
  • Manufacturing processes
  • Schematics
  • R&D information

If your company is deriving significant profit from information, that information likely is a trade secret. However, a company’s ability to protect the information will be highly dependent on the efforts that it takes to keep the information secret. If sufficient steps are not taken, the trade secret will be deemed to have been abandoned. Rockwell Graphic Systems v. DEV Industries, 925 F.2d 174, 179 (7th Cir. 1991). However, while steps must be taken to protect the trade secret, the steps need not be perfect. Televation Telecom. Systems v. Saindon, 169 Ill. App. 3d 8, 15-16 (Ill. App. Ct. 2nd Dist. 1988).

Patent Lawyer Naperville IL
  • Patents
  • Patent Prosecution
  • Software Patent Prosecution
  • Patent Search
  • Supplemental Examination
  • Ex Parte Reexamination
  • Reissue Patent
  • Foreign Patent Protection
  • Patent Post Grant Review
  • Trademark Attorney Naperville IL
  • Trade Secrets
  • Copyrights
  • CyberLaw
Contact Us Today

Get your free case review within 24 hours. All Fields Required.





    Please prove you are human by selecting the Star.

    Client Review

    “Konrad Sherinian is a talented patent attorney. He had years of experience as an electrical engineer prior to getting his law degree, and that adds depth to his understanding of technical IP issues. For anyone needing high-quality representation in the intellectual property field, I recommend Konrad.”
    Kerry B.
    Client Review

    Chicago Patent and Personal Injury Attorneys

    • call us today
      (630) 318-2606

    1755 PARK STREET, SUITE #200, NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS 60563
    Phone: (630) 318-2606
    180 NORTH LASALLE, SUITE #3700, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601
    Phone: (312) 981-5004
    Fax: (630) 364-5825
    Phones are open 24/7

    RESOURCES
    • Intellectual Property Attorneys
    • Personal Injury Attorneys
    • Commercial Litigation Attorneys
    • Attorneys
    • Sitemap
    NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

    Follow Us

    World Class Legal Counsel on Intellectual Property & Technology ®. Copyright The Law Offices of Konrad Sherinian, LLC © 2020. All Rights Reserved

    ATTORNEYS: Konrad Sherinian Edward Bi | Powered By: Matador Solutions
    Resources:
    • Car Accident Lawyer Naperville IL
    • Medical Malpractice Attorney Chicago IL
    • Medical Malpractice Attorney Naperville IL
    • Patent Attorney Chicago IL
    • Patent Lawyer Chicago IL
    • Personal Injury Lawyer Chicago IL
    • Personal Injury Lawyer Naperville IL
    • Trademark Attorney Chicago IL
    • Patent Lawyers Chicago IL
    • Patent Attorneys Chicago IL
    • Car Accident Lawyer Chicago, IL
    • Chicago IL Patent Attorney
    • Patent Lawyer Chicago IL Near Me
    • Premises Liability Lawyer Naperville IL
    • Bicycle Accident Lawyer Naperville IL
    • Legal Resources