> Are these just empty words? Yes. Without some kind of existing contract in place, they're meaningless. > Or is it legally enforceable to send an email and

> Are these just empty words? Yes. Without some kind of existing contract in place, they're meaningless. > Or is it legally enforceable to send an email and forbid "copying" or publishing/disclosing the contents? Only in extremely rare circumstances. It can be legally useful to put a note saying "Hey, this email contains trade secrets. If it was accidentally sent to you, you might want to think twice about further disseminating or selling these trade secrets." But the case law on this is quite weak, and putting the disclaimer on every email even if they don't contain trade secrets may be counter-productive by diluting the claim even in cases where it actually would apply. It's debatable but many legal scholars would assume similarly for a disclaimer on every single email saying "This is attorney-client privileged." unless maybe your business is a law firm.