Civil Protection of Trade Secrets According to UAE Legislation and TRIPS Agreement (Comparative Study)

Abstract

There is no doubt that the confidential information shall be legally protected, especially if it has an economic value, and its owner has taken all necessary measures to maintain its confidentiality, so that the owner acquires a competitive advantage over other competitors. Some legal systems, like UAE law, do not regulate these secrets by a spcial law. Thus, the general rules may be utilized to protect such information in addition to other protective methods and rules such as unjust enrichment and, unfair competition. As such, this study is divided into two sections. The first section deals with the concept of trade secrets and examines the conditions of trade secrets protection. The second section contains the means of trade secrets protection. Finally, the study concluded with the main findings, recommendations, and suggestions that insist on the importance to enact specific law to regulate the legal protection of trade secrets in the UAE.