New WIPO Lex Collection Brings Trade Secrets Case Law into Focus
By Editorial Team
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has launched the WIPO Lex Trade Secrets Case Law Collection, a new online resource designed to improve access to judicial decisions relating to trade secret protection across jurisdictions.
In an increasingly interconnected and innovation-driven global economy, effective intellectual property (IP) protection plays a vital role in promoting economic growth, competition, and technological progress. Among the various forms of IP protection, trade secrets have emerged as an essential tool for businesses seeking to safeguard valuable information and preserve their competitive advantage.
A Dedicated Resource of Trade Secrets Jurisprudence
The Collection responds to growing global interest in trade secret protection and to the central role played by courts in interpreting and enforcing trade secret laws. It provides a structured and accessible repository of significant judicial decisions, offering insights into how trade secret issues are addressed across different legal systems.
Developed by WIPO’s Patent and Technology Law Division and the WIPO Judicial Institute (WJI), the Collection complements the broader WIPO Lex-Judgments database while offering a focused perspective on trade secrets litigation and judicial reasoning.
Global Scope and Collaborative Development
The Collection is developed in close cooperation with the WJI’s network of judicial focal points. Through this collaboration, key court decisions have been identified and curated to reflect important legal developments and a diversity of judicial approaches to trade secret protection.
In its initial pilot phase, it features cases from Brazil, China, Germany, India, Italy, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States. Additional jurisdictions will be added in subsequent stages as the Collection continues to expand.
Key Legal Issues Covered
The Collection brings together judicial decisions addressing many of the core questions in trade secret law, including:
- What qualifies as a trade secret
- How trade secret protection is established
- When disclosure or misappropriation occurs
- Lawful exceptions to trade secrets
- Remedies for breach of trade secrets
Supporting Transparency and Comparative Analysis
By consolidating leading judicial decisions from multiple jurisdictions, the WIPO Lex Trade Secret Case Law Collection enhances transparency and facilitates comparative legal analysis around the world. Through this initiative, WIPO aims to support informed judicial decision-making and promote a deeper understanding of the legal frameworks that protect confidential business innovations and information worldwide.
About WIPO Lex
WIPO Lex serves as the comprehensive, open, and free gateway to more than 50,000 legal documents from 200 jurisdictions, spanning patents, copyrights, trademarks, designs, and other IP subject matters. The WIPO Lex Database is organized into three collections, consisting of IP laws and regulations, WIPO-administered treaties and other IP‑related treaties, and IP judgments.
Publication date: March 31, 2026
Tags: Judiciaries, Trade secrets, WIPO Lex