What is an infringement of trade secret law?

In California, an infringement of trade secret law occurs when one person or company unlawfully obtains, uses or discloses in any way, information that has been kept confidential. Trade secret law protects confidential information such as formulas, manufacturing processes, customer lists, inventions and business plans. Some of this type of information may not be patentable or may not have been registered with the government, yet it still has value. The trade secret law in California is based on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA). The UTSA defines trade secrets as information that has economic value, is not generally known, and is the subject of efforts that are reasonable, under the circumstances, to maintain its secrecy. When trade secret information is unlawfully acquired, used or disclosed, the owner of the information may be entitled to legal action to protect their information. They may be able to get an injunction to stop the wrongful conduct or be awarded economic damages. The legal action must be brought within 3 years from the time the misappropriation is discovered. Trade secret law is important for protecting the investments companies make in researching, developing and implementing valuable confidential information. It enables them to protect their investments from being copied and used by others.

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What is an infringement of trade secret law?

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