Excuse me, is the business method or strategy that a company can bring benefits to the company a trade secret? Do I need to apply for patent protection?

This is a trade secret. You can't apply for patent protection for trade secrets, because patents in our country currently refer to inventions, that is, inventions, utility models and designs.

Invention refers to a new technical scheme proposed for a product, method or its improvement.

Utility model refers to a new practical technical scheme for the shape, structure or combination of products.

Appearance design refers to a new design with aesthetic feeling and suitable for industrial application based on the shape, pattern or combination of products and the combination of colors, shapes and patterns.

Trade secrets are clearly stipulated in China's Anti-Unfair Competition Law: Trade secrets refer to technical information and business information that are not known to the public, can bring economic benefits to the obligee, and are practical and kept secret by the obligee. Therefore, business secrets include two parts: technical information and business information. Such as management methods, production and marketing strategies, customer lists, supply information and other business information; Production formula, process flow, technical know-how, design drawings and other technical data. According to the provisions of Article 10 of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, the following acts are acts of unfair competition that infringe on the trade secrets of others: (1) Obtaining the trade secrets of the obligee by theft, inducement, coercion or other improper means; (2) disclosing, using or allowing others to use the business secrets of the obligee obtained by means of the preceding paragraph; (3) disclosing, using or allowing others to use the owner of the right and his business secrets in violation of the agreement or the requirements of the owner of the right to keep business secrets. If a third party knows or should know the illegal acts listed in the preceding paragraph and obtains, uses or discloses other people's business secrets, it shall be regarded as infringement of business secrets. According to the Anti-Unfair Competition Law and the Provisions of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce on Prohibition of Infringement of Trade Secrets, the administrative department for industry and commerce shall order it to stop the illegal act, and may impose a fine of 1 10,000 yuan but not more than 200,000 yuan according to the circumstances, and may handle the infringing articles as follows: (1) Order and supervise the infringer to return the drawings, software and other relevant materials containing trade secrets to the obligee (2 I hope I can help you!