In general, a trade secret is any information used in business if the owner has taken reasonable measures to keep such information secret, and the information derives independent economic value, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable through proper means by the public. Almost every state has adopted some form of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. In addition, with the enactment of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA), trade secrets are also protected under civil and criminal federal law. See 18 U.S.C. § 1831, et seq. Due to the enactment of this Act and the weakening of patent protection in the United States, trade secrets are becoming an increasingly important means for companies to protect their intellectual property. This article provides a summary of important 2019 trade secret decisions and trends.
Patent
- Enablement
- Fee Shifting
- Litigation
- The New Copyright Small Claims Board Presents Problems for Copyright Owners and Small Businesses
- From Home Security to VoIP: Honoring Black Women Inventors of the Last Half-Century
- Other Barks & Bites for Friday, February 26: Tillis Tells Biden to Oppose Anti-IP Efforts at WTO; China Patent Commercialization Jumps 2.5x During 13th Five-Year Plan; Federal Circuit Finds U.S. Navy Liable for Copyright Infringement
- Sarah Boone: the ‘Ironing Table’, Perfected
- How to Safeguard AI Technology: Patents versus Trade Secrets
Recent Posts
- The New Copyright Small Claims Board Presents Problems for Copyright Owners and Small Businesses
- From Home Security to VoIP: Honoring Black Women Inventors of the Last Half-Century
- Other Barks & Bites for Friday, February 26: Tillis Tells Biden to Oppose Anti-IP Efforts at WTO; China Patent Commercialization Jumps 2.5x During 13th Five-Year Plan; Federal Circuit Finds U.S. Navy Liable for Copyright Infringement
- Sarah Boone: the ‘Ironing Table’, Perfected
- How to Safeguard AI Technology: Patents versus Trade Secrets