House Approves Bipartisan Trade Secrets Legislation

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved by a vote of 410-2 the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (S. 1890) to protect American trade secrets from theft. The bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets Act amends the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 to create a federal civil remedy for stealing trade secrets that will help American innovators protect their intellectual property from theft.  Trade secrets include such vital proprietary information as confidential formulas, manufacturing techniques, and even customer lists. Ensuring the protection of this vital information will help U.S. competiveness, job creation, and our economy. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) praised today’s House vote:

“Intellectual property powers the engine of American innovation and creativity, creates new jobs, and helps grow our economy. Trade secrets, such as confidential formulas, manufacturing techniques, algorithms, and even customer lists, are an important part of the intellectual property portfolios of our most innovative companies and they are becoming increasingly more vulnerable to theft as a result of our globalized economy. The bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets Act will help American companies and innovators protect their intellectual property from criminal theft by foreign agents and those engaging in economic espionage.”

Background:  The Defend Trade Secrets Act passed the Senate by a vote of 87-0 on April 4, 2016.  The legislation will now be sent to President Obama to be signed into law. ###