A trade secret is a practice, design, formula, process, or piece of information that is not known to the public and by which a company gains an economic advantage. Unlike patents, trade secrets are protected without registration, as long as they remain secret.

Examples include the Coca-Cola formula, Google's search algorithm, and KFC's recipe. Protection relies on confidentiality agreements, security measures, and trade secret law. If the secret is independently discovered or reverse-engineered, protection may be lost.

Key points

• Confidential information with economic value
• No registration required
• Protected as long as it remains secret
• Examples include recipes and algorithms