We started out with three each of three different types of plants: one member of each set was given water that had been boiled on a gas stove, water that had been boiled in a microwave oven, or water that had not been boiled at all.
Drug patent protection: How long is long enough? A recent Senate committee hearing on Bill S-17, Parliament's effort to comply with international trade rules by extending pharmaceutical patent protection to 20 years, inadvertently opened the door to a broader investigation of the inner workings of the country's pharmaceutical patent legislation.
If confidentiality can be maintained, the idea is likely a valid trade secret. Advantage #2: Trade secret protection can last indefinitely. While patents generally last up to 20 years, and copyrights generally last up to 100 years, a trade secret can potentially last forever. As long as the trade secret remains secret, the protection will not expire.