On Sat, 29 Dec 2007 09:39:48 -0000, Phil Payne wrote: > >Some agencies (governments, defence departments, etc.) require vendors to >supply FULL >documentationn on any products delivered. IMO that would include the trade >secret stuff. >Someone needs to find a jurisdiction where this rule is completely enforced >_and_ where >there's a strong local Freedom of Information Act. Than ask for a copy. > How does one achieve a balance between vendors' interest in protecting trade secrets and customers' interest in knowing what they're buying?
Cases that come to mind: should a toy manufacturer be allowed to protect as trade secret the technology of producing toys with particularly brilliant colors, or should the customer be made aware of possible safety concerns? Should a pet food manufacturer be allowed trade secret protection on the ingredients used? Should a vegetable grower be allowed trade secret protection on the working conditions (including sanitation) in the fields? Should an engineering and construction company be allowed trade secret protection on the materials and techniques used in building a highway bridge? Suppose the vendor offers the information, but insists on NDA? How valid is a peer review when all qualified reviewers are likely to be employed either by the vendor or by the vendor's competitors? How critical is a computer system, hardware and software, to the customer's business and the public's well-being, compared to various of the above examples? -- gil ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
