1. The secret formula can be regarded as a trade secret and protected by the anti-unfair competition law.
2. Crackers can apply for patents.
The secret formula is also a trade secret. Since it is a trade secret, it must be highly confidential, that is, others can't crack the formula when they get the product, such as Yunnan Baiyao and Coca-Cola. At this time, they will not apply for a patent, because the patent has the requirement of protection period, and as long as the trade secrets are not made public, they can always be held independently. But in this case, if the secret formula is cracked, it will lose its confidentiality and it is difficult to protect it effectively. In order to be cracked, a company that may have secrets will apply for a patent that does not necessarily need to be made public. As long as it keeps applying and then does not apply for disclosure, it can apply for patent disclosure until the confidential content is cracked and disclosed, and then it still enjoys the priority of applying for a patent earlier and can continue to enjoy patent protection for several years according to the patent protection right.