Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 6-41 - Uniform Trade Secrets Act

• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Improper means: includes theft, bribery, misrepresentation, breach or inducement of a breach of a duty to maintain secrecy, or espionage through electronic or other means;

  (2)  "Misappropriation" means:

  (i)  Acquisition of a trade secret of another by a person who knows or has reason to know that the trade secret was acquired by improper means; or

  (ii)  Disclosure or use of a trade secret of another without express or implied consent by a person who:

  (A)  Used improper means to acquire knowledge of the trade secret; or

  (B)  At the time of disclosure or use, knew or had reason to know, that his or her knowledge of the trade secret was:

  (I)  Derived from or through a person who had utilized improper means to acquire it;

  (II)  Acquired under circumstances giving rise to a duty to maintain its secrecy or limit its use; or

  (III)  Derived from or through a person who owed a duty to the person seeking relief to maintain its secrecy or limit its use; or

  (C)  Before a material change of his or her position, knew or had reason to know, that it was a trade secret and that knowledge of it had been acquired by accident or mistake. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-41-1

• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Misappropriation: means :

  (i)  Acquisition of a trade secret of another by a person who knows or has reason to know that the trade secret was acquired by improper means; or

  (ii)  Disclosure or use of a trade secret of another without express or implied consent by a person who:

  (A)  Used improper means to acquire knowledge of the trade secret; or

  (B)  At the time of disclosure or use, knew or had reason to know, that his or her knowledge of the trade secret was:

  (I)  Derived from or through a person who had utilized improper means to acquire it;

  (II)  Acquired under circumstances giving rise to a duty to maintain its secrecy or limit its use; or

  (III)  Derived from or through a person who owed a duty to the person seeking relief to maintain its secrecy or limit its use; or

  (C)  Before a material change of his or her position, knew or had reason to know, that it was a trade secret and that knowledge of it had been acquired by accident or mistake. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-41-1

• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means a natural person, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-41-1
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Trade secret: means information, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that:

  (i)  Derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use; and

  (ii)  Is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-41-1