Keep the information genuinely secret and take reasonable steps to guard it, such as NDAs, limited access, and clear confidentiality policies. Those two things together, real secrecy and active protection, are what make information legally count as a trade secret.

Handle it at offboarding: reconfirm their confidentiality obligations in an exit interview and immediately cut off access to sensitive systems, files, and accounts. Because California doesn’t allow non-competes, tight control of your confidential information is your main protection once someone moves on.

Yes. Trade secret law is completely separate from non-compete law, so the ban doesn’t weaken it at all. Confidentiality agreements and NDAs also remain fully enforceable, because they protect your information rather than restrict where someone can work.

A trade secret protects confidential business information for as long as it stays secret; a patent protects an invention publicly for a limited term; a trademark protects a brand name or logo. Each one calls for a different protection strategy.

It depends on what the idea is. A genuinely novel invention may qualify for a patent, a confidential method or formula is usually better kept as a trade secret, and contracts like NDAs can protect it while you share it with partners or staff. An IP attorney can help you choose the right mix.