Plenty of trade secrets are defended successfully. Trade secrets cases are lost when the owner is claiming something is a trade secret when it doesn't meet the

Plenty of trade secrets are defended successfully. Trade secrets cases are lost when the owner is claiming something is a trade secret when it doesn't meet the legal definition of a trade secret. Trade secrets are useful for long-lived secrets like the formula for Coca-cola. But if someone independently develops the same thing you are trying to keep secret too bad. Also, if the secret accidentally gets out (w/o theft) the trade secret enters the public domain.