Opinion ID: 3010675
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Preservation of confidentiality

Text: The EEA also contains a provision designed to preserve the confidentiality of trade secrets during criminal prosecutions. 18 U.S.C. S 1835 states that a court: shall enter such orders and take such other action as may be necessary and appropriate to preserve the confidentiality of trade secrets, consistent with the requirements of the Federal Rules of Criminal and Civil Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and all other applicable laws. An interlocutory appeal by the United States shall lie from a decision or order of a district court authorizing or directing the disclosure of any trade secret. (emphasis added). This section does not, of course, abrogate existing constitutional and statutory protections for criminal defendants. It does, however, represent a clear indication from Congress that trade secrets are to be protected to the fullest extent during EEA litigation. Moreover, it further encourages enforcement actions by protecting owners who might otherwise be reluctant to cooperate in prosecutions for fear of further exposing their trade secrets to public 13 view, thus further devaluing or even destroying their worth. H.R. Rep. No. 104-788, at 13, 1996 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 4032. Therefore, as with the definition of trade secrets, the confidentiality provision aims to strike a balance between the protection of proprietary information and the unique considerations inherent in criminal prosecutions.