First Publication Date: 16th August 2010
As per Section (35) of the Patents Act, 1970, the Controller may notify a patent application (i.e. a patent application before the grant/refusal) as a secret. The patent application may be of a class notified by the Central Government as relevant for defense purposes or may be up to the discretion of the Controller. The patent applicant is further prohibited from publishing information related to the patent application or communicating information related to the…
The possibility of protection and a company's capability to protect a secret is indeed an important factor to be considered while defining the nature of protection. Though many factors may be in favor of trade secret protection over patent protection, the incapability of an organization to maintain secrecy is a very important factor and may shift the balance.
The kind of information sought to be safeguarded, measures required for protection, nature of business, organization's stature, and so on play a very…