1. Which forms of intellectual property protections are available to WidgetCo to protect the quality assurance process and materials developed by Maurice’s team?

2. What are the major advantages and disadvantages of each protection?

3. Compare the facts of the hypothetical in this Theory to Practice with the standards for qualification of a trade secret. Could WidgetCo’s quality assurance process be considered a trade secret under these standards?

4. What steps could the company take to achieve its objective of having the process protected under trade secret laws and avoid misappropriation? 

5. If WidgetCo wants copyright protection for its manuals and training video series, how will it obtain protection under the Copyright Act? If the manuals are simply a compilation of facts known in the industry, are they protectable?

WidgetCo is a manufacturer and wholesaler of a line of widget products with annual revenue of $50 million. Maurice, a midlevel manager at WidgetCo, supervises a work team responsible for assessing quality assurance for the widgets before they are shipped to various retailers around the United States. Maurice and his group have been highly successful in developing a quality assurance process, including the development of training manuals, a video series for new employees, and specific checklists and procedures to ensure that any defective or substandard widgets are detected and repaired prior to shipping.