The State Administration for Market Regulation ("SAMR") recently released the Work Plan for the National Pilot Program for Innovative Protection of Trade Secret (the "Plan").

According to the Plan, a number of areas will be selected to carry out the pilot program for innovative protection of trade secret; the governance level and the effectiveness of protection will be continuously improved in a three-year period to bring the trade secret protection to a new stage. To this end, the Plan sets forth tasks in six aspects, including strengthening the innovation of the trade secret protection system, improving the working mechanism for trade secret protection, and strengthening the supervision and law enforcement of trade secret protection. Among others, the Plan calls for perfecting the systems and rules. Pilot areas are required to study and introduce the protection systems and rules that meet their development needs based on their respective economic development trends and features. Efforts shall be made to enhance the protection for key industries and characteristic industries, especially for new economies, new industries, new forms, and new models; and to enhance the protection for knowledge-intensive enterprises, technology-intensive enterprises, innovative enterprises, and time-honored enterprises. All localities shall form a uniform and standardized guide to trade secret protection nationwide based on their practice.

(Source: State Administration for Market Regulation)