Trade secret

Swiss law does not treat trade secrets as a registered IP right. Protection depends on the information being secret, commercially valuable because of its secrecy, and subject to reasonable confidentiality measures. Examples include formulas, customer lists, manufacturing processes, algorithms and strategic plans. Employers and business partners typically rely on confidentiality clauses, access controls and internal policies. Misappropriation may trigger contractual, employment, criminal or unfair competition consequences. Trade secret protection is flexible and potentially indefinite, but it ends once the information lawfully becomes public or independently developed.