The sweet-taste with the distinctive “kick” is one flavor many Americans wouldn’t forget. It’s the taste that has earned Coca-Cola billions of dollars in sales. The formula for Coca-Cola is also one of the best-kept trade secrets in American corporate folklore.
Today, in the Information Age, the fledgling companies in Silicon Valley may be the next big thing. But, just like Coca-Cola (and other hallowed icons), the edge of the young new start-ups hinge on keeping a winning business idea a secret.
Trade secrets by definition are confidential pieces of information that are proprietary in nature. Many different types of information can be considered confidential. Such confidential information can be a key to the brand’s competitive edge – like the secret formula of Coca-Cola or the secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken. In the (still) sunrise industry of software development (in which California may be the center), the right bright idea may spell the difference between phenomenal success and abysmal failure.
But just as important as protecting your company’s best-kept secret is selecting the legal team that will handle your case should a breach occur. You have to select a law professional with extensive years of experience in intellectual property, copyright, trademark and business litigation.
It is best that you get your legal team on board when you are still launching your new enterprise, brand or even idea. The business law attorney can help map out a well-planned trade secret policy to ensure that there will be no leaks of proprietary information. This could include the standard stamping of “CONFIDENTIAL” on hard documents that are deemed as such. It could also include the use of complicated passwords to restrict access to top-secret computer files and sensitive email messages.
A well-planned trade secret policy is built around well-informed and educated staff members who know that they have a stake in keeping competitive information within the confines of the company. As such, key staff members must be required to conform to a non-disclosure agreement, the basic text of which shall be written by the business attorney.
Plugging the trade secret leak, so to speak, by way of ensuring that the company secret remains a secret is Plan A of the collaboration between your company and the law firm specializing in business law.
After the employees, the law firm will help in assisting you with protecting your proprietary information. If your business extends beyond California, then an application for a more encompassing trademark protection is not only recommended, but imperative as it is highly likely that disputes may not be limited to California. But even if your business is limited to California, you will still be better utilizing the services of an experienced attorney. Remember that the great corporate icons of today started small, however, it is their well-kept trade secret that got them to be the giants that they are now.
If you are looking for a San Diego business attorney to help you with your company, call our office today at (559) 431-4888.
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