In April a virtually unanimous Congress passed, and President Obama is expected to sign, the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (“DTSA”)—a law that is arguably the most significant development in trade secrets law in over 30 years—putting trade secrets on par with other intellectual property.
The DTSA amends the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 to create a federal private right of action for misappropriation of trade secrets. With the amendment potentially comes an entirely new body of trade secrets laws, supplementing existing state trade secrets laws, including ex parte seizure orders.
Explore the impact of the DTSA on companies’ ability to protect their trade secrets, the potential ramifications of missteps along the way, and the risks to U.S. companies and others.