When we say there are legal limits on CI, what we usually mean is that there are legal limitations on the way in which data can be collected as well as on the type of data which can be collected and utilized. In some cases, as indicated later in this chapter, there are a few legal issues that can be considered to deal with how CI is actually used.

The key legal areas that may have an impact on the collection of data for use in CI are the following:

• federal and state laws dealing with trade secrets

• national laws dealing with privacy concerns

• protections of certain property rights in intellectual property

• civil laws enforcing contracts