President Obama Signs Defend Trade Secrets Act into Law

The DTSA Law Effective as of May 11, 2016

President Obama signed the Defend Trade Secrets Act into law on May 11, 2016, effective immediately.  The DTSA provides for the first time a federal claim for misappropriation of trade secrets.  Previously, trade secrets were only protected by state laws. The new Act supplements state laws and does not preempt state law.  The DTSA provides for a number of remedies, whistleblower protections and  includes a notice requirement for employers who have trade secret or confidential information agreements with employees, independent contractors, and consultants.  How does this new law affect your business?  Let our Intellectual Property team at Marks Gray, led by Shareholder Crystal Broughan, help you better understand how your business should move forward on any trade secret, trademark and copyright issues.