PA 97-110-HB 7030
Judiciary Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING DUMPSTER DIVING

SUMMARY: This act specifies that spying by searching through trash is an improper method of
acquiring trade secrets covered by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act. The law already made spying
through electronic or other means an improper method.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1997

BACKGROUND

Uniform Trade Secrets Act

  The trade secrets law allows a person or business to go to court to prevent or recover damages
for a misappropriation of a trade secret. Among the ways to misappropriate a secret are (1)
acquiring it by improper methods such as theft, bribery, misrepresentation, breach of a duty to
maintain secrecy, or espionage or (2) disclosing or using it with knowledge that it was acquired in
one of these ways.