Trade Secrets Update

Just as trade secrets cases continue to proliferate in the news, the U.S. Senate introduced legislation last week aimed at streamlining the ability of American companies to combat trade secret theft. Under the proposed legislation S.3389, “Protecting American Trade Secrets and Innovation Act of 2012″(“PATSIA”), a single federal statute would be created under which companies could sue in Federal Court, as an alternative to the existing structure of state or common law statutes. To be eligible, plaintiffs are required under a heightened pleading standard to: “(A) describe with specificity the reasonable measures taken to protect the secrecy of the alleged trade secrets in dispute; and (B) include a sworn representation by the party asserting the claim that the dispute involves either substantial need for nationwide service of process or misappropriation of trade secrets from the United States to another country.” Plaintiffs also are subject to a three-year statute of limitations.