The formulation for Coca Cola® is probably the world’s most famous trade secret. It has enormous financial and strategic value. Confidential information, trade secrets and know-how are fundamental intellectual assets that need to be protected, properly.

Other valuable, confidential assets:

• financial and business information, company accounts
• marketing plans
• strategic plans
• client information
• organisational methodologies
• databases
• know-how
• unprotected intellectual assets, such as innovations undergoing further development

Properly managing confidential information reduces the risks for inadvertent disclosures.

For more information on managing confidential information, see the article Managing Confidential Information in the April-June 2010 issue of the Watermark Intellectual Asset Management journal.