商業秘密保護的中國實踐：創新者的隱形鎧甲與法治護航者
作者：劉民選 2025-05-18由錢伯斯特邀撰寫并轉載，原文請點擊【原文鏈接】
商業秘密保護絕非易事，在當今中國更是如此。當下，中國創新蓬勃發展，亦需求更加完善的商業秘密保護。在本文中，我將首先闡述中國商業秘密保護司法實踐的重要性，接著分享我對當前司法實踐的一些建設性思考。隨后，我會總結我的團隊為企業打造的創新型五維商業秘密保護體系，以及基于內部實際需求的42個業務場景。我的團隊已準備好為創新者建設五維商業秘密保護體系及提供各類知識產權法律服務。
Protection of trade secrets is never easy, especially in today’s China, where innovation is booming and calling for more comprehensive trade secret protection. In this article, I will firstly explain the importance of judicial practice in China’s trade secret protection, then I will share some of my constructive thoughts on today’s judicial practices. After this, I provide a summary of my team’s innovative five-dimensional trade secret protection system for corporates and 42 practice scenarios for our own benefit. My team is ready to offer five-dimensional trade secret protection system implementation services as well as all other IP legal services to innovators.
第一部分：為什么商業秘密保護對中國創新如此重要？
Part I: Why is Trade Secret Protection So Vital for Innovation in China?
一家科技公司的核心技術圖紙被競爭對手竊取，一款新藥的研發數據遭內部人員泄露，一個電商平臺的核心用戶畫像被非法復制——這些看似遙遠的危機，每天都在中國的商業戰場上真實上演。
A tech company’s core technical blueprints are stolen by competitors, a new drug’s R&D data is leaked by insiders, an e-commerce platform’s core user profiles are illegally replicated... these crises, seemingly distant from daily operation, unfold daily on China’s commercial battleground.
商業秘密，這個看不見、摸不著卻價值連城的“隱形資產”，正成為數字經濟時代企業生存與發展的命脈。它不僅是蘋果、華為等巨頭的核心資產，更是中小微企業破局進入成熟市場的“秘密武器”。我的團隊的使命——“在知識產權的道路上，做創新者的引路人、筑路人；推動公平競爭，保護真正的創新者”，與這樣的背景尤為契合。我們深知，每一次商業秘密案件的維權，不僅關乎企業的生死存亡，更關乎整個國家創新生態的健康發展，商業秘密保護彰顯的是國家對“創新驅動發展”的戰略堅守。
Trade secrets, these invisible yet invaluable “intangible assets”, have become the lifeline for corporate survival and growth in the era of digital economy. They are not only the core assets of giants like Apple and Huawei but also the “secret weapon” for SMEs to break through into the established markets. The mission of my team – ”to guide and pave the way for innovators on the path of intellectual property; to promote fair competition and protect genuine innovators” – resonates deeply within this context. We recognise that every trade secret case not only determines a company’s survival but also impacts the nation’s innovation ecosystem. Trade secret protection embodies China’s strategic commitment to “innovation-driven development”.
在我的團隊經辦的商業秘密刑事案件中，既有成功為權利企業維權，嚴厲打擊情節惡劣的犯罪行為的案件，同樣也有為犯罪嫌疑人辯護使其被合理量刑或免責的案件。我們在知識產權道路上，致力于為企業、員工等真正的創新者探索并明確一條清晰的“紅線”，實現真正的公平競爭，讓真正的創新能夠即不為侵權所累，也不為前路不明而憂。
As demonstrated in criminal trade secret cases handled by my team, we have successfully defended trade secret holders, cracked down on egregious criminal acts, and provided defence for criminal suspects to ensure proper sentencing or even exoneration. In the realm of intellectual property, we strive to define clear “red lines” for enterprises, employees and genuine innovators, fostering true and fair competition. What we have done and keep doing ensures innovation is neither burdened by infringement nor hindered by legal ambiguity.
第二部分：中國商業秘密保護的司法實踐發展史
Part II: The Development of Judicial Practices in China’s Trade Secret Protection
1.從“無據可依”到“立體防護網”
1. Evolution in legal rules: from “no law to follow” to a “multi-layered protection matrix”
2019年《反不正當競爭法》：該法將商業秘密侵權的法定賠償上限提高至500萬元人民幣，并引入懲罰性賠償（最高可達實際損失或違法所得的五倍），讓惡意侵權者付出“傾家蕩產”的代價。
2019 Anti-Unfair Competition Law: This law raised the statutory compensation ceiling for trade secret infringements to CNY5 million and introduced punitive damages (up to five times the actual loss or illicit gains), imposing ruinous costs on malicious infringers.
2020年《最高人民法院關于審理侵犯商業秘密民事案件適用法律若干問題的規定》：該司法解釋明確了電子數據、算法等新型商業秘密的認定標準，并就非法手段的認定提供了更具適用性的指導方針。
2020 Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Civil Cases Involving Trade Secret Infringement: These provisions clarified the standards for identifying new types of trade secrets, such as electronic data and algorithms, and provided more applicable guidelines on identifying unlawful means.
2020年《刑法修正案（十一）》：該修正案增設了“為境外的機構、組織、人員竊取、刺探、收買、非法提供商業秘密”罪，劍指跨境商業間諜活動。
2020 Criminal Law Amendment (XI): This amendment added the crime of “stealing from, spying on, bribing for, or illegally providing trade secrets to foreign entities”, targeting cross-border commercial espionage.
2021年《最高人民法院關于審理侵害知識產權民事案件適用懲罰性賠償的解釋》：該解釋為懲罰性賠償提供了詳細的考量因素，確保在涉及故意侵權的案件中，懲罰性賠償規則能夠有效適用。
2021 Interpretation of Supreme People’s Court on the Application of Punitive Damages in Hearing Civil Cases of Infringement upon Intellectual Property Right: This interpretation provided detailed consideration factors for punitive damages to ensure the rules on punitive damages can be effectively cited in cases involving malicious infringers.
2025年《最高人民法院 最高人民檢察院關于辦理侵犯知識產權刑事案件適用法律若干問題的解釋》：該解釋整合了先前多件兩高關于侵犯知識產權刑事案件的司法解釋，文字表述更加準確凝練，亦補充明確了細節問題。
2025 Interpretation of Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling of Criminal Cases of Intellectual Property Infringement: This interpretation consolidated the existing interpretations of Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate concerning criminal cases of intellectual property infringement with polished texts and new articles on details.
2.司法實踐的突破性變化
2. Breakthroughs in judicial practices
(1)刑事手段成為震懾侵權的“利劍”
(1) Criminal measures as a “sword” to deter infringement
2023年，全國公安機關立案偵查商業秘密刑事案件同比激增65%，其中60%涉及高新技術領域。商業秘密刑事的數量增長也反映了商業秘密刑事保護力度的加強。在2023年-2024年期間，我的團隊成功代理五件商業秘密刑事案件。之前，商業秘密刑事案件立案時有受阻，但目前，各地檢察院和公安廳都在通過辦案指引，從例如降低舉證責任等方面降低權利人報案的“門檻”。但在商業秘密內容、侵權行為、損失金額的計算等事實上，仍呈現出各類復雜的法律問題。員工流動，企業并購、技術合作中處處都可能落入商業秘密的“陷阱”。
In 2023, Chinese public security authorities saw a 65% year-on-year surge in criminal trade secret cases, with 60% involving high-tech sectors. This reflected strengthened criminal enforcement. From 2023 to 2024, my team successfully handled five such cases. Previously, filing such cases faced hurdles, but prosecutors and police departments now streamline processes through guidelines, such as easing evidentiary burdens. However, legal complexities persist in defining trade secret content, proving infringement and calculating losses. Employee mobility, mergers and technical collaborations often trigger trade secret “traps”.
示例案件1：在伊某公司與被告人張某、李某共同侵犯了米某公司的商業秘密的刑事案件中，離職前員工以不正當手段獲取米某公司技術圖紙入職伊某公司，最終，李某犯侵犯商業秘密罪，判處有期徒刑四年六個月，罰金人民幣十萬元，伊某公司被處罰金四百萬元。該案乃判罰當時刑罰最高案件。
Exemplary case 1: In a case involving Company Y and defendants Zhang and Li, former employees illicitly obtained technical blueprints from Company M and joined Company Y. The court sentenced Li to 4.5 years’ imprisonment and a CNY100,000 fine, while Company Y was fined CNY4 million – the highest penalty of its kind at the time.
示例案件二：我的團隊為上海自貿區首例商業秘密案中的被告辯護，這起侵犯加油槍商業秘密案耗時近兩年半，僅鑒定就反復做了6次，辯護方前后遞交材料也有5次，基于對法律問題透徹、全面的分析，被告人最終均未判實刑。
Exemplary case 2: My team defended a defendant in Shanghai’s first free-trade zone trade secret case involving fuel nozzle technology. The 2.5-year litigation required six rounds of forensics and five defence submissions. Through rigorous legal analysis, the defendant avoided imprisonment.
(2)員工流動與商業秘密保護的平衡
(2) Balancing employee mobility and trade secret protection
在刑事規制幫助企業挽回損失和遏制不正當競爭的同時，新創企業及具備一定專業經驗的員工則更關注商業秘密和員工技能的邊界和區分。在甬某公司上市專項案件中，由于技術人員與某競爭對手重合度較高而產生商業秘密爭議，然而該案中細致分析甬某公司的研發背景情況，則可以將甬某公司技術人員的研發與某競爭對手之商業秘密進行區分，使員工通過自身技能施展其創新能力。
While criminal protections help enterprises recover losses and deter unfair competition, start-ups and skilled employees increasingly seek clarity on the boundary between trade secrets and employee expertise. In a case involving Company X’s IPO, the overlapping of technical personnel with a competitor sparked disputes. Detailed analysis of R&D histories distinguished Company X’s innovations from the competitor’s secrets, enabling employees to leverage their skills lawfully.
（3）懲罰性賠償的落地實踐
(3) Implementation of punitive damages
自2019年反不正當競爭法修法以來，商業秘密民事案件中，針對惡意侵權行為在實際損失或侵權獲利確定的賠償基礎上可以適用2-5倍的懲罰性賠償。在最高人民法院審結的一起國內兩家知名車企之間因大量員工“跳槽”引發的新能源汽車底盤技術秘密侵權糾紛案中，最高人民法院二審適用2倍懲罰性賠償，判決侵權人賠償經濟損失及維權合理開支合計6.4億余元，創我國知識產權侵權訴訟判賠數額歷史新高，也成為標桿性案例。同時，該案判決在停止侵害以及拒絕履行法院判決的責任等方面，亦進行了開創性探索。
Post-2019 amendments, civil trade secret cases allow punitive damages (2-5x actual losses or illicit gains) for malicious acts. In a landmark case, China’s Supreme Court applied 2x punitive damages in a dispute between two auto makers over electric vehicle chassis technology, awarding a record CNY640 million in damages. The ruling also set precedents for injunctive relief and penalties for non-compliance.
第三部分：當下中國商業秘密保護面臨的挑戰和對立法的需求
Part III: Ongoing Challenges and Legislative Needs in China’s Trade Secret Protection
在司法實踐中，仍然會面臨各種問題和爭論。這些問題和爭論需要進一步厘清，同時也需要從立法層面加以解決。我分享以下爭議點，請讀者一起思考。
In judicial practice, various issues and debates still arise, needing further clarification and resolution at the legislative level. I share the following contentions for readers to think about.
（1）商業秘密刑事案件到底是為了解決企業之間的經濟糾紛，還是為了維護競爭秩序、促進創新
1. Whether criminal cases involving trade secrets aim to resolve economic disputes between enterprises or to maintain competitive order and promote innovation
這個實務中的爭議點，既是一個思想認識問題，也是業務實踐問題。這個問題按照道理不應該產生，因為商業秘密刑事犯罪被規定在第三章破壞社會主義市場經濟秩序罪，理應沒有爭議。
This contentious point in judicial practice is both a conceptual and a practical issue. In theory, this should not be a matter of debate, because trade secret crimes are categorised as crimes of disrupting the socialist market economic order in Chapter III of Criminal Law, which should be clear-cut.
然而，在具體案件辦理時，仍有個別司法行政機關人員認為該罪是經濟糾紛，認為其不應當插手，甚至建議權利人通過民事訴訟解決。這種觀點至少會造成部分公安階段的立案難，檢察階段產生畏難情緒，進而致使案件推進緩慢，直接構成商業秘密維權的挑戰。
However, in handling specific cases, some judicial and administrative personnel still view these as economic disputes, believing that they should not intervene and even suggesting that the rights holders resolve the issue through civil litigation. This perspective can lead to difficulties in filing cases at the public security stage, reluctance at the prosecution stage and slow progress in case handling, directly resulting in challenges in enforcing trade secret rights.
我的團隊相信，完善的商業秘密保護需求司法、行政機關上下對相關法律重新準確理解。
My team believes adequate trade secret protection needs a refreshed understanding of relevant laws throughout the judicial and administrative organs.
（2）商業秘密具體內容占侵權產品中的貢獻率應如何計算
2. How to determine the contribution rate of the specific content of trade secrets in the infringing product
這個爭議點既是計算涉案金額遇到的問題，也是涉及立案標準金額30萬如何計算的問題。以技術類商業秘密為例，有些人認為應該從整體考慮，就是如果缺少相關涉案技術時還是否可行，換言之，該涉案技術是否是不可或缺的；有些人認為應該考慮該技術占整體技術的比例來計算；有些人認為應該以該技術是否可以獨立為標準，進而判斷其他設備或技術是否需要剝離；有些人認為應該以涉案技術本身的價值來計算。
This contentious point in judicial practice is the issue encountered when calculating the amount involved in the case. This problem is related to how the criminal case filing threshold amount of CNY300,000 should be calculated. Taking technical trade secrets as an example, some believe that the necessity of the trade secret should be taken into account, ie, whether the related technology is indispensable; some think the proportion of the technology in the overall technology should be considered; others suggest that the independence of the technology should be the standard, based on whether other equipment or technologies need to be separated; and some argue that the value of the technology itself should be the basis for calculation.
以上標準都有一定的合理性，但本人更贊成以整體考慮為原則進行計算。我的理由是，商業秘密犯罪本身歸于經濟秩序犯罪范疇，主要維護的是社會經濟中商業主體的公平競爭，規制的行為是不得利用不正當手段進行競爭，它的本質更強調的是誠信經營和競爭秩序。同時，商業秘密的內容僅僅強調非公知性，不需要滿足專利的新創性，所以其標準應很低，亦便于規制商業秘密侵權行為的顯著危害性。商業秘密侵權行為一則造成市場競爭失衡，二則會極大增加管理成本，同時對于市場主體創新的積極性造成極大損害，
Each standard has its rationale, but I personally favour the necessity of trade secret approach. My reasoning is that, since trade secret crimes fall under the category of economic order crimes, they primarily aim to maintain fair competition among commercial entities in the economy, regulating behaviours that use unfair means for competition. The essence of these crimes emphasises honest business practices and competitive order. Moreover, the content of trade secrets only needs to be non-public, without having to meet the novelty and non-obviousness standards required for patents; thus, a rather low standard should be set to avoid significant potential harm caused by infringement acts. Trade secrets infringement acts not only cause an imbalance in market competition but also greatly increase management costs and severely damage the enthusiasm for innovation among market entities.
綜上所述，商業秘密犯罪設立的本質就是從社會整體價值考慮，因此在計算損失或商業秘密價值的時候以整體考慮為妥，整體考慮的路徑亦與促進公平競爭的立法目的相匹配。
Therefore, the establishment of trade secret crimes is essentially based on the overall social value, making it appropriate to consider the overall impact of the necessary trade secret when calculating losses or the value of trade secrets. I advocate holistic assessments to align with the law’s intent to protect fair competition.
（3）商業秘密的內容如何歸納
3. How to summarise the content of trade secrets
這個爭議點聚焦中國法院的常見做法，將商業秘密的內容總結為所謂的“商業秘密點”（而這一概念在法律或非法律層面都沒有明確的定義），而不是以更準確的商業秘密內容表述為準。
This point of contention is about the common practice in Chinese courts to summarise the content of trade secrets as so-called “trade secret points” (which have no clear non-legal or legal definition), rather than a more accurate description of the trade secret content.
本人非常不贊成所謂商業秘密點之概念，因為這會帶來一系列問題。無論鑒定機構、評估機構以及司法機關都是以商業秘密點為判斷，但商業秘密點如何定義？由于缺少相關法律規定，這就會造成更多的爭議，比如：商業秘密點是以獨立技術方案、或獨立技術效果、或獨立功能、還是以其他規范為判斷標準？此外，盡管缺乏依據，評估機構也被要求以商業秘密點進行評估。
I strongly disapprove of the concept of trade secret points as it leads to a series of problems. Whether made by appraisal institutions, evaluation agencies or judicial authorities, judgements are made based on trade secret points, but how are these points defined? There are no relevant legal provisions, leading to more disputes. For example, are trade secret points judged by independent technical solutions, independent technical effects, independent functions or other criteria? Then, forensics evaluation agencies also assess the qualification of trade secrets based on trade secret points with no clear legal basis.
這也是造成上述第二個爭議焦點的主要原因，試想如果以商業秘密點為標準進行評估，當然就會帶來這個點的價值問題，使得難以、甚至無法從整體進行考量了。因此，個人認為商業秘密點的表述危害性非常大，應當盡快達成對商業秘密歸納標準的清晰共識。
To call back to the second contentious point mentioned above, if assessments of damage are based on trade secret points, such approach naturally raises the issue of the value of these points, making it difficult or impossible to consider the overall impact. Therefore, I believe the concept of trade secret points is highly problematic; clearer standards for summarisation of trade secrets are urgently needed.
第四部分：“五維商業秘密保護體系”——從理論到42個業務場景落地
Part IV: The “Five-Dimensional Trade Secret Protection System” – From Theory to Implementation in the Context of 42 Originally Created Practice Scenarios
基于我的團隊辦理的商業秘密案件經驗，我們發現：90%的企業敗訴并非因為法律不完善，而是因為缺乏系統化的保護策略。
Based on my team’s experience in handling trade secret cases, we have found the reason why 90% of corporates lose trade secret lawsuits is not due to inadequate laws but rather the lack of systematic protection strategies.
今年，企業商業秘密體系建設的服務需求增多。以往在此類專項中，無論是我們自身，還是同行、學術方面的相關的研究和經驗也很多。然而，以往大多數的情況是，要么通過體系建設形成了大量的制度文本，卻無法落地執行。如此難以執行的內部制度和規定難以幫助企業，企業在面對商業秘密侵權事件時仍然還在為完成起訴舉證而頭疼。團隊在基于商業秘密訴訟服務經驗和對商業秘密體系的深度解析和由下至上的分析后，終于創設了全新的商業秘密保護體系。脫胎于我們的專業經驗，這一體系包括能夠解決前述痛點難點的體系建設維度和工作方法。
This year, there has been an increasing demand for services in implementing corporate trade secret protection systems. In the past, my team, peers in the profession and academia have carried out extensive research and studies in this specialised area. However, conventional implementing approaches have generally resulted in a large number of institutional documents that cannot be enforced in daily operation, leaving implementation useless for trade secret protection purposes. Such unenforceable internal rules and regulations cannot help the companies, leaving them struggling with evidence collection for litigation when facing trade secret infringement incidents. After in-depth observation and bottom-to-top analysis of trade secret infringement incidents, my team finally invented a new trade secret protection system framework. Born from our professional experience, this brand-new systematic framework and working methodology addresses these pain points and challenges.
在這一全新體系中，我們從確權管理、維權管理、權限管理、風險管理、外披管理五個維度進行商業秘密體系建設的整體思考和設計，使體系建設能夠全面。通過實際工作場景為切入點，運用自下而上的工作方式，為企業設計建設和完善的制度和執行操作文本，讓每一條文本都能夠融入場景，為每一操作人在工作中實際應用，以確保可落地執行。
In the new framework, we divide trade secret protection system implementation into five dimensions: rights confirmation management, rights protection management, access control management, risk management and external disclosure management. This ensures a comprehensive and holistic design for the system. By using actual work scenarios as starting points and adopting a bottom-up approach, we design and refine operational documents for enterprises. Our implementation ensures that each provision is integrated into real-world scenarios and can be applied in practice by every employee.
我們的成功經驗已經證明新的商業秘密體系建設消除了原有體系建設中的制度文本難以有效執行的問題。我們提出的五維體系，針對每個維度幫助企業構建從預防到應對的全周期防護機制。企業商業秘密體系建設將在每一個維度的不斷打磨中而趨于完善。
Our successful experience has proved that such implementation eliminated the ineffectiveness of the institutional documents created by conventional approaches. Our proposed five-dimensional trade secret protection system implementation approach assists enterprises in building a full-cycle protection system from prevention to response. While we are still polishing each dimension, the whole trade secret protection system implemented by us will continue to evolve and mature.
上述體系思維和工作方法為企業打造體系的同時，也需要我的團隊成員有更為有效、高效的工作技能，也啟發我的團隊發現提升每位律師的實戰技能的管理方式。于是，我們精心打磨了42個標準業務場景，這些場景覆蓋了我們工作包括每一步驟和每一階段的方方面面，讓所有法律服務高效、全面、可靠，也讓我們的團隊在實現愿景的路上更進一步——“成為頂尖的知識產權律師團隊，做客戶創新路上最信賴的伙伴”。
This innovative framework requires my team to have more effective and more efficient working skills; meanwhile, this framework also inspires my team to invent new ways to obtain such working skills. To this end, we have meticulously crafted 42 standard practice scenarios that cover every step or stage of our daily jobs. These scenarios enable all legal services to be efficient, comprehensive and reliable, bringing my team one step closer to realising our vision: “To be the very best team of intellectual property attorneys and the most trustworthy companion of clients on their march to innovation.”
維護商業秘密的本質就是打造公平競爭的社會環境，為迎接創新、擁抱創新和提升創新提供制度保障；而我們團隊的使命就是推動公平競爭，保護真正的創新者。伴隨我們的努力與熱忱，中國的商業秘密保護也必將越來越好。
The essence of protecting trade secrets lies in creating a fair and competitive societal environment, providing institutional safeguards while welcoming, embracing and enhancing innovation. My team’s mission is to promote fair competition and protect true innovators. With efforts such as these, the protection of trade secrets in China will undoubtedly continue to improve.
