As it turns out, there are as many origin stories for barbecue as there are spellings of the word on neon signs. These explanations range from a linguistic attempt to connect barbecue to boucan (also French) to a tall tale tracing barbecue to a Texas rancher who happened to brand the initials B.Q. on his livestock.
Patent protection usually ends when the patent expires. Here are the expiration dates: For all utility patents filed before June 8, 1995, the patent term is 20 years from date of filing, or 17 years from date of issuance, whichever period is longer.
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.