The Law And Theory Of Trade Secrecy A Handbook of Contemporary Research

‘Rochelle Dreyfuss and Kathy Strandburg have assembled a star-studded cast of contributors for this new and welcome volume. Good academic works about trade secret law have been about as elusive as trade secrets themselves. This volume offers a wonderful contribution to the literature, and will certainly inspire much-needed further research in the area, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.’
– Mark Janis, Indiana University, US

‘Trade secret law is often seen as the “Cinderella” of intellectual property law, at least by scholars. But it is hugely important. This volume shows why. Trade secret law provides a window into so many areas of legal thought, and implicates a wide array of public policies. The editors have brought together a diverse set of challenging contributions, which highlight this breadth. Drawing on theory, history, and doctrine, collectively they comprise one of the most wide-ranging and provocative treatments of the field. The volume not only is essential reading for scholars tackling the role of trade secrets in our economy, but also offers important insights for anyone interested in intellectual property law more generally.’
– Graeme B. Dinwoodie, University of Oxford, UK

This timely Handbook marks a major shift in innovation studies, moving the focus of attention from the standard intellectual property regimes of copyright, patent, and trademark, to an exploration of trade secrecy and the laws governing know-how, tacit knowledge, and confidential relationships. 

The editors introduce the long tradition of trade secrecy protection and its emerging importance as a focus of scholarly inquiry. The book then presents theoretical, doctrinal, and comparative considerations of the foundations of trade secrecy, before moving on to study the impact of trade secrecy regimes on innovation and on other social values. Coverage includes topics such as sharing norms, expressive interests, culture, politics, competition, health, and the environment.

This important Handbook offers the first modern exploration of trade secrecy law and will strongly appeal to intellectual property academics, and to students and lawyers practicing in the intellectual property area. Professors in competition law, constitutional law, and environmental law will also find much to interest them in this book, as will innovation theorists.