The value of secrecy for big pharma

The approval of the EU trade secrets directive and enactment of the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) in the US, both in May, were intended for stronger protection of trade secrets in the world’s most developed markets. The aim of the directive was to harmonise national trade secret laws of all EU member states by providing a uniform definition of a trade secret and outlining civil remedies available against unlawful acquisition. Similarly, the DTSA aimed to provide federal jurisdiction for the misappropriation of trade secrets, which previously was addressed only at the state level by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA).