Trade Secrecy and International Transactions

Elizabeth A. Rowe, University of Virginia School of Law, US and Sharon K. Sandeen, Robins Kaplan LLP Distinguished Professor in Intellectual Property Law and Director of IP Institute, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Minnesota, US

• Contents: PART I TRIPS REQUIREMENTS AND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF US TRADE SECRET LAW 1. Introduction 2. Article 39 of the TRIPS Agreement 3. US Trade Secret Law and the Uniform Trade Secrets Act 4. Trade Secrets and Business to Business Relationships 5. Trade Secrecy in Employment Relationships 6. Enforcement Mechanisms and Litigation 7. Government Held Trade Secrets and Data Exclusivity PART II OVERVIEW OF TRADE SECRET LAW IN SELECT COUNTRIES 8. Understanding the Laws of Other Countries 9. Country Overviews: Common Law Countries 10. Country Overviews: Civil Law Countries Index

‘Two powerful forces push against each other in the high-stakes world of modern commerce. First, innovation is key, because the competition for old, established products is fierce. Second, commerce today is inherently and relentlessly global. Because innovation is often best protected through trade secrecy, this body of law has taken on enormous importance throughout the world in recent years. But the effective protection of trade secrets varies significantly from country to country. So what to do? The authors of this essential book provide practical and detailed answers to this crucial question. They begin by emphasizing the inclusion of trade secrets in the TRIPs Agreement, and the model for TRIPs-level protection, the US Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), which serves as a “baseline” for protection around the world. They then describe in detail the importance of contractual protection and self-help measures as crucial adjuncts to formal legal protection. They provide a concise summary of trade secret laws in all important trading partner countries in the world. And they describe practical strategies for effective trade secret protection. The long and short of it is that this book is an excellent, practical resource for lawyers needing to know how best to navigate the tricky but essential waters of global trade secret protection.’