The purpose of this page is to be a springboard for those deciding whether or not to bring a federal or state claim for trade secret theft. In some cases the federal alone may suffice, in some the state may be more favorable, and in other situations both federal and state claims may be favorable if filed together. Just like there is a Model Penal Code or Model Rules of Professional Conduct, there is a Model set of rules for trade secret law known as the Uniform Trade Secret Act. Most states adopt the uniform act (with the exception of New York and Massachusetts), but it is anything but uniform because the states delete and change many provisions. Uniformity has only been recently added with the Federal Defend Trade Secret Act of 2016.
It is interesting to note that the statute explicitly defines searching through trash as improper means.
