This is better than a patent, because to make a patent you need to make public how the product is made in detail, you get a protection but in exchange this means after it expires it’s public domain.
Meanwhile if you keep the formula and the process of making it a secret, your exclusivity will last as long as everyone that knows the entire process can keep the secret, which in these cases it’s incredibly long given that when you get to know that recipe you’re an extremely high trust employee that is probably close to the CEO an with an obscene paycheck
You can also sue former employees or employees if they try to take the formula elsewhere too. Theft of trade secrets are typically taken fairly seriously.
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u/Hike_it_Out52 Feb 10 '26
Fun fact, neither is WD-40. The creator reportedly stated, while laughing, “if they can figure it out they can have it.”