Alabama Trade Secrets Act

This act governs the protection of trade secrets, defining what qualifies as one and setting out the obligation of employees and others not to disclose confidential business information entrusted to them. It establishes a civil cause of action for actual or threatened misappropriation, with remedies including injunctive relief, actual damages, exemplary damages, and an award of attorney's fees where a party has acted in bad faith, subject to a fixed period within which suit must be brought. It also directs courts to preserve secrecy during discovery and in criminal proceedings through protective orders, imposes criminal penalties for stealing trade secrets, and displaces conflicting tort and restitutionary law covering the same conduct.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.