Trade Secrets

The law of trade secrets protects information that could provide one company a competitive advantage over another. Examples of potential trade secrets include: profit margins, material costs, instructional manuals, customer lists, and much more. Trade secret law is primarily state law and, consequently, varies from state to state. The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 does provide litigants the opportunity to bring a civil suit for trade secret misappropriation in federal court.  

Trademark Law in a Nutshell offers a broader introduction. For more detailed questions or in-depth discussions, consult one of the treatises listed in this guide under the Treatises tab to the left.