What do Google's search algorithm, the formula behind your competitor's AI model, and your own proprietary training dataset have in common? None of them are patented. They are trade secrets, and in the high-tech industry, these are strategically valuable intellectual property (IP) assets.

Here's a scenario that plays out in Canadian tech companies every week: a founder hires a freelance developer to build their platform. The developer delivers great code. Then the relationship ends, and the founder discovers the copyright in that code may not belong to the company at all.