Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

12 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5302 (2026)

 Definitions.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 5302.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Improper means."  Includes, but is not limited to, theft, bribery, misrepresentation, breach or inducement of a breach of a duty to maintain secrecy or espionage through electronic or other means.

"Misappropriation."  Includes:

(1)  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

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

(i)  used improper means to acquire knowledge of the trade secret;

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

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

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

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

(iii)  before a material change of his 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.

"Person."  A natural person, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision or agency or any other legal or commercial entity.

"Trade secret."  Information, including a formula, drawing, pattern, compilation including a customer list, program, device, method, technique or process that:

(1)  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.

(2)  Is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

"Willful and malicious."  Such intentional acts or gross neglect of duty as to evince a reckless indifference of the rights of others on the part of the wrongdoer, and an entire want of care so as to raise the presumption that the person at fault is conscious of the consequences of his carelessness.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 90 cases (43 in the last 5 years), 2006–2026 · leading case: Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. v. VWR Int'l LLC, 984 F. Supp. 2d 425 (E.D. Pa. 2013).
Alpha Pro Tech, Inc. v. VWR Int'l LLC, 984 F. Supp. 2d 425 (E.D. Pa. 2013). · cites it 10× “12 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 5302 (emphasis added).”
Synthes, Inc. v. Emerge Med., Inc., 25 F. Supp. 3d 617 (E.D. Pa. 2014). · cites it 5× “¶¶ 227-36); (5) misappropriation of trade secrets under Pennsylvania common law and the Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act, 12 Pa.C.S. § 5302 et seq., against all Defendants (id.”
Parsons v. Pennsylvania Higher Educ. Assistance Agency, 910 A.2d 177 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2006). · cites it 4× “Noting that Pennsylvania adopted the Trade Secrets Act in 2004, Wiley quoted the definition of "trade secret" in 12 Pa. C.S. § 5302, which states: Information, including a formula, drawing, pattern, compilation including a customer list, program, device, method, technique or…”
Commonwealth, Dep't of Pub. Welfare v. Eiseman, 125 A.3d 19 (Pa. 2015). · cites it 3× “12 Pa.C.S. §5302; see 65 P.S. §67.102 (reflecting a materially identical formulation).”
Commonwealth v. Eiseman, 85 A.3d 1117 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2014). · cites it 3× “12 Pa.C.S. § 5302. This Court recognized the Trade Secrets Act as a statutory exemption from disclosure in Parsons v.”
Mifflinburg Tel., Inc. v. Criswell, 277 F. Supp. 3d 750 (M.D. Penn. 2017). · cites it 2× “2010) (citing 12 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 5302). . Synthes, Inc.”
Advanced Fluid Sys., Inc. v. Huber, 28 F. Supp. 3d 306 (M.D. Penn. 2014). · cites it 3× “” 12 Pa. Cons.Stat. § 5302. It further defines “trade secret” as: Information, including a formula, drawing, pattern, compilation including a customer list, program, device, method, technique or process that: 1.”
Jazz Pharm., Inc. v. Synchrony Grp., LLC, 343 F. Supp. 3d 434 (E.D. Pa. 2018). · cites it 2× “§ 1839 (5) ; 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. § 5302 ). A trade secret may consist of "any formula, pattern, device or compilation of information which is used in one's business, and which gives him an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not know or use it.”
Bro-Tech Corp. v. Thermax, Inc., 651 F. Supp. 2d 378 (E.D. Pa. 2009). · cites it 2× “12 Pa. Cons.Stat Ann. § 5302. 227 . Id. 228 .”
Heraeus Med. GMBH v. Esschem Inc, 927 F.3d 727 (3rd Cir. 2019). · cites it 2× “" 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5302 (2)(ii)(C). In other words, the limitations period would only begin to run once Heraeus discovered sufficient facts to make it reasonably aware not only that Esschem used Heraeus' trade secrets without Heraeus' consent, but also that Esschem knew or…”
Advanced Fluid Sys., Inc. v. Huber, 381 F. Supp. 3d 362 (M.D. Penn. 2019). · cites it 2× “" 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5302 . Second , AFS seemingly misconstrues the court's observation, in declining to award exemplary damages against the Livingston defendants, that their misappropriative motives "were purely competitive.”
WMI Grp., Inc. v. Fox, C., 109 A.3d 740 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015). · cites it 3× “12 Pa.C.S. § 5302; Iron Age Corp. v. Dvorak, 880 A.”
— 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5302(1) — 3 cases
Synthes, Inc. v. Emerge Med., Inc., 25 F. Supp. 3d 617 (E.D. Pa. 2014). “¶¶ 227-36); (5) misappropriation of trade secrets under Pennsylvania common law and the Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act, 12 Pa.C.S. § 5302 et seq., against all Defendants (id.”
MJ Test Prep v. Lynch, D. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021).
TCS Black Label v. Serhant Pennsylvania, 2026 Pa. Super. 17 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2026).
— 12 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5302(2) — 1 case
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