I. INTRODUCTION
Sir Francis Bacon wrote in 1597 that "knowledge itself is power."'
In no arena of economic and social relations has this statement proved
more true than in the context of modem business. In today's highly
competitive economic environment, even slight advances in
technology, minor improvements in production, and small refinements
in business methods can afford companies tremendous competitive
advantages over their market rivals. Indeed, maintaining exclusive
possession of valuable technical and commercial information often can
mean the difference between cornering a particular market and fighting
for financial survival.