Articles For Week 10
Microsoft offers 14,000 pages of trade secrets
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/185721/microsoft-offers-14000-pages-of-trade-secrets.html
Stuart Turton reports on Microsoft's releasing of trade secrets involving the inner workings of Microsoft Office3 2007, Microsoft Office SHarePoint Server 2007, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. The information pertains to how the programs communicate with eachother. While this allows open source creators to use the code in non-commercial programs, those wanting to make a dollar of what they have learned from Microsoft will have to pay royalties. The purpose of the release was to better allow other programs to integrate with their software.
Because of European pressures to make Microsoft release this code, it is now available for public use. This is an example of a trade secret that was once kept very well to one that is now out in the open and no longer protected.
Trial delayed for engineer charged with stealing trade secrets
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/31/state/n212110D05.DTL
The San Francisco Chronicle writes about the "trial of a Chinese-American engineer charged with stealing military and aerospace trade secrets on behalf of China." Some of the things he allegedly stole were trade secrets on the space shuttle, the C-17, and the Delta IV rocket. He obtained these secrets from his time working at Rockwell International and Boeing. The trial is being delayed because of Kenneth Miller, the defendant's attorney, because he is involved in a "lengthy trial,".
Trade secrets are not only to keep Coca-Cola recipies out of the hands of people who want to copy it, but also for military and government projects. If these are violated, the nation stands more to loose than just a company going under. This is one reason for very strict international trade secret laws.
Google shares its security secrets
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/73635,google-shares-its-security-secrets.aspx
In another case of trade secrets being revealed, Google is allowing security professionals to look at it's systems. While this article doesn't mention trade secrets exactly, it alludes to them in the fact that Google has a lot to loose if people manage to get into their system. "If you have bad intentions and want to get a reputation, hacking Google is the best way to get credibility on the streets." Says Scott Petry, director of Google. In light of this, Google has adopted a policy to share their research with other companies to see if they can find flaws in it and therefore try to help keep the secruity problems to a minimum.
Trade secrets can be a double edged sword. While they may keep your competition at bay, you also run the risk of not having any input from anyone.