Trade secrets and innovation: Lifting the Veil on Trade Secrets for Canada’s superclusters

I had the pleasure of speaking yesterday to the ecosystem of innovators and their innovation partners affiliated with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Protein Industries Supercluster, and Digital Technologies Supercluster. My topic was “Lifting the Veil on Trade Secrets”.

Innovation is tremendously important for Canadians. Our economy – and ultimately the prosperity and well-being of Canadians – depends on Canadian businesses’ ability to innovate and compete internationally.

If you are thinking about 21^st century developments in Big data analysis, Quantum computing, AI and machine learning, Future networks and 5G, Distributed systems and blockchain, Geonomics, Virtual, mixed and augmented reality, Robotics and Cybersecurity – take a look at the projects of the Digital Technologies Supercluster.

For developments in growing the ocean economy in digital, sustainable, and inclusive ways including the fishery, aquaculture, bioresources, offshore resources, marine renewables, defence, shipping and ocean technology – take a look at the Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.

If you have given thought about the innovations needed to support our agricultural industries and the challenges of feeding the world, take a look at the projects of the Protein Industries Supercluster which include plant genomics that improve nutrition, novel processing technology and digital solutions from farm to fork.

It goes without saying that the investments being made in new technologies and processes by the superclusters and their partners are valuable and the intellectual property developed needs to be protected. These businesses have a mixture of intellectual property tools they can use including patents, copyrights, industrial designs and trade secrets to protect their innovations and trade-marks to protect their brands.

My talk to the supercluster participants focused on trade secrets and how confidential information can be used to protect innovations. My remarks included these topics:

• • “What is a trade secret”
  • “When can Information be protected as a trade secret”
  • “When business should rely on trade secrets”
  • “How to protect information to maintain its confidentiality”
  • “Who is bound to maintain information in confidence”
  • “What acts violate confidential duties”
  • “Confidential information and employees”
  • “Considerations when an organization wants to license their trade secrets”
  • “Remedies for breach of confidence”

A copy of my slides are set out below.