Trade Secrets are information that companies keep secret to give them
an economic advantage over their competitors.
an economic advantage over their competitors.
Trade secrets may include:
Trade secret protection can last for an unlimited duration.
Trade secrets must be maintained in confidence and can provide the owner with the right to prevent
others from using or disseminating the protected information.
others from using or disseminating the protected information.
TRADE SECRETS
Pennsylvania adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act on April 19, 2004. The Act defines trade secrets in a broad manner. The Act provides various remedies for trade secret misappropriation. These remedies are essentially uniform among the states that adopted the Uniform Trade Secret Act.
Pennsylvania has defined trade secrets to include: formulas; drawings; patterns; compilations (i.e. customer lists); programs; devices; methods; techniques; and processes. Under Pennsylvania law, it must derive independent economic value and must be protected by reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy.