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CS Professional · Intellectual Property Rights - Law and Practice · Protection of Trade Secrets

Which of the following pieces of information held by a Chennai-based retailer is LEAST likely to qualify as a trade secret?

The shop address and opening hours are least likely to be a trade secret because they are openly displayed to the public. Trade secrets need information that is not generally known, has commercial value from its secrecy, and is protected by reasonable confidentiality measures.

  1. AA compiled supplier list with negotiated confidential rates, kept on a password-protected system
  2. BAn unpublished algorithm that forecasts store demand, accessible to few staff under NDAs
  3. CThe retailer's shop address and store opening hours displayed on its signboard and websiteCorrect
  4. DA secret marinade recipe for its in-house food brand, known to two employees under confidentiality terms

Explanation

A trade secret must be not generally known, have commercial value because of its secrecy, and be subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret. Address and hours are publicly displayed, so they lack secrecy. The others meet all three features.

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