‘Once Upon A Time In Shaolin’ a Trade Secret?

New film plot and the key actors – trade secret

The team formation and tactics for Saturday’s game – trade secret

That album restricted only released to a few people – trade secret

September 25, 2025 Judge Pamela K. Chen became the first federal judge to recognise a musical work as a protectable trade secret under the Defend Trade Secrets Act

The groundbreaking decision may have significant implications for businesses operating in digital asset markets, luxury goods, and experiential entertainment.

The judge said it employed reasonable steps to preserve the album’s secrecy, including armed security guards and constant video surveillance.

She also found “no serious debate” that the album’s value was based mainly on its secret and exclusive nature.

“The independent economic value of the album comes from plaintiff’s ability to exploit its exclusivity to create an ‘experience’ that its competitors cannot, rather than from a public commercial release or from traditional forms of music distribution”

” sufficiently alleged that the album is cloaked with a ‘substantial element of secrecy'” to survive dismissal motion.