Trade Secret Law Research Guide  

Trade secret law allows business owners to protect proprietary information without obtaining or relying on patent or copyright protection.  The proprietary information may be outside the scope of patent or copyright protection, or business owners may want to avoid the limitations of patent and copyright law, especially the disclosure requirements.  Trade secret law derives from state common law.  Most state laws are based on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), but trade secret law is also treated in the Restatement (First) of Torts and the Restatement (Third) of Unfair Competition.  

Trade secret law research involves primary legal sources such as state statutes and cases.  In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources and practice aids such as research guides, background materials, treatises, and law review articles. Secondary sources help you frame your questions before you begin researching "the law" and often provide references to primary sources, rules, or forms. As you continue your research, you may want to consult current awareness tools to keep current on legal developments that may affect your research.

This guide is designed to point out the best sources available for trade secret law research at BU.  Some of the resources are free Internet sources, but many are subscription services available to members of the BU Law community.  Where possible, this guide will link to other guides which can provide even more detail or resources on a particular subject. 

I.  Introduction

II. Secondary Sources

• Special Collections of IP Resources
• Trade Secret Research Sources: Print & Online
• Study Aids for Trade Secret & IP Law
• Finding Law Journal Articles
• Trade Secret News: Keeping Up with New Developments
• Trade Secret Blogs

III.  Practice Aids

• Books about Trade Secret Law Practice
• Finding Trade Secret Forms

IV.   State Trade Secret Law

• State Trade Secret Law
• Massachusetts Trade Secret Law
• Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA)
• Restatements of the Law
• 50 State Surveys: Trade Secrets

V.   Foreign & International Law

• International Resources on Trade Secrets
• Treaties on Trade Secrets 
• Foreign Law Research on Trade Secrets
• Keeping Current on International Trade Secret Issues
• Books for International and Foreign Research