Commercial secrets and confidential information in English law: historical development and legal protection

Abstract

The article examines the formation and development of legal protection of commercial secrets and confidential information in English law. Special attention is paid to judicial practice as the main source of regulation, including key precedents that shaped the doctrine of breach of confidence. The author analyzes the evolution of approaches to the protection of trade secrets, the role of trust and good faith in private law relations, and the specifics of remedies applied by courts. The interrelation between commercial secrecy and insider information is also considered, as well as the features of civil and criminal liability in the United Kingdom.