April 28 2021
Not all artificial intelligence (AI)-related innovations are suitable for patent protection. Some innovations with improved AI algorithms may not have a specific application field that can fit into the protection of patent, and some AI-related IP rights are not protected by the Patent Law, e.g. the data itself.
In these scenarios, the AI software owner may consider protecting it as a trade secret. Considering the nature of secrecy of trade secrets, the advantage of protecting AI algorithms or softwares in this form is that the ‘idea’ of products can be concealed.
On September 10 2020, the Supreme Court of China announced the judicial interpretation titled “Provisions of the Supreme Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Laws in the Trial of Civil Cases of Infringement of Trade Secrets” (hereinafter referred to as ‘new judicial interpretation’).