New Jersey Trade Secrets Act
New Jersey · Trade Names, Trade-Marks and Unfair Trade Practices · §§ 56:15-1 to 56:15-9 · 9 sections
Overview
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.
In the courts
Sections of this act have been cited in 1 court decision.
Most-cited authority: 351 Ga. App. 133 - One Sixty Over Ninety, LLC v. Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
Sections covered
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-1Short title
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-2Definitions relative to misappropriation of trade secrets
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-3Actual, threatened misappropriation may be enjoined
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-4Entitlement to recovery of damages; exceptions
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-5Prohibited defense
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-6Award to prevailing party
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-7Preservation of secrecy of alleged trade secret
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-8Three-year limitation on action
- N.J. Stat. Ann. § 56:15-9Rights, remedies, prohibitions, additional, cumulative; supercedure1 cite
Enacted in other states
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