Trade Secret Protection Agreement

Trade Secret Protection Agreement: Create a Verified Trade Secrets Agreement

A verified trade secret protection agreement protects commercially valuable information, such as formulas, processes, methods, source code, customer data or know-how, that you share with another person or business. It defines the trade secrets, limits how they can be used and shared, sets security measures and remedies for breach, and can include restrictions on competing or soliciting. Robot Lawyer drafts the agreement from your answers, for the law of the country or state you choose. On the Verified plan, a legal professional checks it before you sign.

CONTENTS

What Is a Trade Secret Protection Agreement?

A trade secret is valuable because it is secret. Once it is out, it can't be put back. This agreement shows you have taken reasonable steps to keep the information secret, which is essential for legal protection, and gives you clear contractual remedies if it is misused.

When Do You Need One?

• Sharing know-how with partners
  Manufacturers, suppliers, licensees or joint venture partners.
• Employees and contractors
  People who will work with your most sensitive information.
• Investors and buyers
  Due diligence where secret information must be shown.

What's Included in Your Agreement?

• The parties
  The owner of the trade secrets and the recipient.
• The trade secrets
  What is protected, with the usual exceptions.
• Permitted use and sharing
  The purpose, and any third parties who may receive them.
• Restrictions
  No copying, disclosure or reverse engineering beyond the purpose.
• Security and return
  Protecting the information, and returning or destroying it.
• Remedies and restrictions
  Injunctions and damages, and any non-compete or non-solicit for exactly the period you choose.
• Acknowledgement and severability
  The recipient confirms it understands its obligations, and an invalid term doesn't affect the rest.

Trade Secrets Law (UK Only)

In the UK, trade secrets are protected by the law of confidence and the Trade Secrets (Enforcement, etc.) Regulations 2018, which require the information to be secret, to have commercial value because it is secret and to be subject to reasonable steps to keep it secret. Non-compete and non-solicit restrictions must be reasonable to be enforceable.

How It Works on Robot Lawyer

1. Answer the questions
   Tell us about the parties, the trade secrets and how they will be used.
2. Generate your agreement
   We draft a complete trade secret protection agreement.
3. Get it verified
   On the Verified plan, a qualified legal professional checks the agreement within 24 hours and makes amendments where needed. See how our documents are verified.
4. Sign before sharing
   Both parties sign before any trade secrets are disclosed.

Trade Secret Protection FAQs

What counts as a trade secret?

Any information that is secret, has commercial value because it is secret and is protected by reasonable steps, such as a recipe, algorithm, process or customer list.

How is this different from an NDA?

An NDA covers confidential information generally. A trade secret agreement focuses on your most valuable secrets, with stronger security and remedy provisions.

How long does protection last?

For as long as the information stays secret, unlike patents, which expire.

Create a Verified Trade Secret Protection Agreement

Protect what makes your business valuable. Related documents: Non-Disclosure Agreement, One-Way Confidentiality Agreement, Non-Compete Agreement and Technology Transfer Agreement.