Trade secrets are the lifeblood of American business. U.S. companies own an estimated $5 trillion in trade secrets, roughly $300 billion of which are stolen every year. Trade secret theft deeply affects big business – including such companies as General Motors and DuPont – but even start-ups and smaller companies are vulnerable. Indeed, lawmakers such as Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) have suggested that in places like Silicon Valley "the value of trade secrets may well exceed the value of patents and copyrights."

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Originally published by Corporate Counsel, May 23, 2016

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