[sandeepmdas]

Well, it has been a known fact that the "leaked" info is usually leaked purposefully just to create more interest about the product; Mobile phone makers and business jet manufacturers are the two prime examples - that's what I read. Don't have any links,

Taking snaps on a public road is not an offence unless you're not aiming at another person. Doing so in a hotel/mall parking can be an offence, depends on the property owners viewpoint. Taking snaps inside a house's compound is certainly an offence unless you're in good rapport with the house owner. An accredited press photographer can do all these, if it justifies his work.

[vinaydas]

unless the photo's aren't taken on private property then its absolutely fine.

[Thad E Ginathom]

By being on private property, you may well be trespassing. Taking photographs? Unless there is something in Indian law about this... I don't think there is anything illegal about photographing private property.

Remember too that there is civil law and criminal law.

[McLaren Rulez]

I remember Fifth Gear doing a segment about spy photographers a while back. The got a spy pic and the driver of the test car got off and tried to argue that the photographer was breaching the law and asked him to hand over the cam. The photographer told him to go to hell

[grules]

I agree that the general notion here is, you spot a masked vehicle on public road then you can just click pics of it and publish it. Then what happens to cases like the Logan notchback which seems to have been spotted inside Mahindra campus?

Another point that i would like to know more about is the case of 'Trade secrets'.

What is a Trade Secret?
A trade secret refers to data or information relating to the business which is not generally known to the public and which the owner reasonably attempts to keep secret and confidential. Trade secrets generally give the business a competitive edge over their rivals. Almost any type of data, processes or information can be referred to as trade secrets so long as it is intended to be and kept a secret, and involves an economic interest of the owner. For example, a business may have certain internal business processes that it follows for its day-to-day operations that give it an edge over its competitors. This could be regarded as a trade secret.

Reference: Protecting Your Trade Secrets

The clause "owner reasonably attempts to keep secret and confidential" is what the manufacturer is doing to camaflauge the test vehicle. We petrol heads do publish scoop pics, analyze them, photoshop them to reveal the details. Isn't it revealing a trade secret to the competitor.

Disclaimer: I don't work for any automobile company

[Thad E Ginathom]

My guess is that a company cannot enforce the keeping of trade secrets against anybody except its own employees and those that have committed to a relevant agreement.

We petrol heads do publish scoop pics, analyze them, photoshop them to reveal the details. Isn't it revealing a trade secret to the competitor.

No it isn't: if the company is careless with its trade secrets, then it can't prevent what has become public being further shared. You are not revealing a trade secret, because you were not party to it in the first place: you are merely sharing and speculating upon, something that you, as a member of the public, have discovered --- as long as you did not break the law (trespass, breaking and entering, etc) to make that discovery.