TSMC to market system to manage trade secrets, its lawyer says

TAIPEI, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan's TSMC (2330.TW), opens new tab manufactures the world's most advanced chips. It now wants to teach its suppliers and partners how to better manage their trade secrets to foster innovation.

The company, the world's largest chip foundry that makes chips for the likes of Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab and Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, plans to market a system it has built to manage and leverage its treasure trove of trade secrets to companies in Europe and the United States, its associate general counsel told Reuters.

Fortune Hsieh, who also chairs the Taiwan Association for Trade Secrets Protection, said the trade secrets registry system which TSMC began building in 2013, has been adopted so far by 20 local firms, including ASE Technology Holding Co (3711.TW), opens new tab.

"If our suppliers also adopt this trade secret registration and management system... it can help them build a stronger innovation culture and more systematic management...and in turn, we benefit from that as well," Hsieh said in an interview.

The registry system stemmed from an idea that companies should not only look to protect their trade secrets but catalogue them in a way that they can encourage innovation, he said.