--- title: Know-how protection description: The know-how protection concerns the innovative features that are preserved and, if necessary, exploited in secret. --- - [Customer Area](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/customer-area/) - [Supplier Area](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/supplier-area/) - [Contacts](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/contacts/) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/company/jacobacci-%26-partners-s.p.a.) - [**](https://www.facebook.com/JacobacciPartners) - [**](https://www.instagram.com/jacobacciip/) - [**](http://www.youtube.com/JacobacciPartners) - [IT](https://www.jacobacci.com/brevetti/tutela-del-know-how?hsLang=it) - ** THE GROUP - [FRANCE](https://jch.jacobacci.com/fr/?hsLang=fr) # Know-how protection - [Home](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/) ## What is protection of know-how? Protection of know-how concerns the preservation of innovative features that are, by their definition, secret and cannot be disclosed. Know-how can take many forms of assets that are important to a client, and often includes technology. While patent protection involves the publication of an invention, such disclosure can impede the proprietor’s ability to protect that same invention as know-how. Problems arising from disclosure (even if unauthorized) can be prevented or reduced through appropriate arrangements of a contractual and legal nature. ### Advantages Because of its importance and potentially perpetual duration, know-how is a corporate asset upon which a company may depend to remain on the market over the long term. Protecting know-how means not only keeping it secret but also protecting it from prying eyes that would undermine its content and, therefore, the economic value of the entire company. At Jacobacci & Partners we have a great many years of experience in the protection of know-how that range from understanding procedures and company assets to preparing contracts, protection and control tools that are tailored to each individual client. ### Risks Not protecting know-how presents enormous risks and potentially, the loss of valuable secret information upon which a company depends. #### Patents - [Priority searches and patentability opinions](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/priority-searches-and-patentability-opinions) - [Filing of Italian, European and international patents](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/filing-of-italian-european-and-international-patents) - [Filing of utility models, in Italy and abroad](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/filing-of-utility-models-in-italy-and-abroad) - [Monitoring by subject, by technology sector, and by competitor](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/monitoring-by-subject-by-technology-sector-and-by-competitor) - [Opposition](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/opposition) - [Due diligence and economic assessments](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/due-diligence-and-economic-assessments) - [Patent Licensing](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/patent-licensing) - [Plant varieties rights](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/plant-varieties-rights) - [Copyright protection](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/copyright-protection) - [Software protection](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/software-protection) - [Know-how protection](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/know-how-protection) - [Freedom to operate (FTO) in Italy and abroad](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/freedom-to-operate-fto-in-italy-and-abroad) - [Technical and patent consultancy in legal disputes in Italy and abroad](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/technical-and-patent-consultancy-in-legal-disputes-in-italy-and-abroad) - [Patent Landscape Report](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/patent-landscape-report) - [Design registration, in Italy and abroad](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/design-registration-in-italy-and-abroad) - [Management of Procedures at the Unified Patent Court (UPC)](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/management-of-procedures-at-the-upc) ### Our latest blog posts [![J&P per IPKat](https://www.jacobacci.com/hubfs/img-blog-IP%20KAT_2025_v2.jpg) ](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/a-venetian-surprise-does-the-upca-transitional-period-really-require-an-opt-out-to-access-national-courts) #### 8 May 2026 Patents, [The IPKat](https://www.jacobacci.com/pubblicazioni/tag/the-ipkat) #### [A Venetian surprise: Does the UPCA transitional period really require an opt-out to access national courts?](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/a-venetian-surprise-does-the-upca-transitional-period-really-require-an-opt-out-to-access-national-courts) - ** [Simone Lorenzi](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/professionals/simone-lorenzi) Article originally published on The IPKat The transitional period of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) is widely understood to offer a safe harbor of choice. For a period... [![Artificial Intelligence in fashion](https://www.jacobacci.com/hubfs/img-blog-J%26P-Riviste_AISPI.jpg) ](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/artificial-intelligence-in-fashion-a-viewpoint-focused-on-intellectual-property) #### 11 March 2026 Trademarks, [Asipi](https://www.jacobacci.com/pubblicazioni/tag/asipi), [AI](https://www.jacobacci.com/pubblicazioni/tag/ai) #### [Artificial Intelligence in fashion: a viewpoint focused on Intellectual Property](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/artificial-intelligence-in-fashion-a-viewpoint-focused-on-intellectual-property) - ** [Eleonora Carrillo](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/professionals/eleonora-carrillo) The use of Artificial Intelligence (hereinafter, “AI”) has burst into the market, gradually transforming our lives and revolutionizing the approach to Intellectual Property... [![EPO's new rules for colour drawings](https://www.jacobacci.com/hubfs/img-blog-IP%20KAT_2025_v2.jpg) ](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/beyond-black-and-white-the-epos-new-rules-for-colour-drawings) #### 12 December 2025 Patents, [The IPKat](https://www.jacobacci.com/pubblicazioni/tag/the-ipkat) #### [Beyond black and white: the EPO’s new rules for colour drawings](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/beyond-black-and-white-the-epos-new-rules-for-colour-drawings) - ** [Simone Lorenzi](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/professionals/simone-lorenzi) Article originally published on The IPKat Following some unwelcome news from the Unified Patent Court (UPC) regarding recent fee increases, the European Patent Office (EPO) has... [Read more](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/publications/) [**](https://www.jacobacci.com/en/patents/know-how-protection#) Cookie Settings