Protecting know-how and secrets

“Know-how” is the essential addition to the patent, and often represents a preferred alternative to the patent itself. However, to ensure this know-how has an economic and legal reality, we must organise its formalisation and protect its secrecy.

IP TRUST has developed expertise in identifying and formalising know-how, creating value, financially evaluating know-how and negotiating contracts for technological transfer.

If we want to legally protect know-how, it must be formalised, convincingly dated and made “non accessible to the public”.

In addition, know-how protection must be taken into account in various contracts (employment contracts, purchasing contracts, confidentiality agreements, cooperation contracts, etc.).

Preserving know-how requires raising staff awareness to avoid disclosures through negligence or ill-will. It also implies the implementation of methods and tools to ensure traceability of knowledge production: laboratory notebook, recording and dating procedures for results and reports, etc.

It is a state of mind that is part of an intellectual property culture and policy, essential for creating real value from innovation.

IP TRUST assists its customers in raising awareness and organising internal procedures to protect know-how.