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Full-Text Articles in Law

A Sociological Approach To Misappropriation, Elizabeth A. Rowe Oct 2009

A Sociological Approach To Misappropriation, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

Social science and law are not strangers. In analyzing legal issues, scholars have often utilized theoretical or methodological approaches from the social sciences. While economics appears to be the prevalent branch of social science in legal analysis, sociology, with its focus on group (as opposed to individual) behavior, can be a suitable approach where, for instance, the application and interpretation of the law is based largely on contextual factors and on behavior. Trade secret law is one of these areas. Public policy arguments and value judgments loom large in these cases. Trade secret law regulates commercial ethics and morality, and …


Contributory Negligence, Technology, And Trade Secrets, Elizabeth A. Rowe Jan 2009

Contributory Negligence, Technology, And Trade Secrets, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

In tort law, the doctrine of contributory negligence captures conduct by the plaintiff that falls below the standard to which he should conform for his own protection. Whether one has been contributorily negligent is determined by an objective standard of reasonableness under the circumstances. This Article, for the first time, applies contributory negligence principles to trade secret law. It draws upon this doctrine to frame and analyze a challenge posed by modem technology. The very technological tools in use today that increase the efficiency with which companies do business also create challenges for trade secret protection. What might have been …


Technology And Intellectual Property: New Rules For An Old Game?, Elizabeth A. Rowe Jan 2009

Technology And Intellectual Property: New Rules For An Old Game?, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

This foreword to the first issue of 2009 for the Journal of Technology Law and Policy discusses the questions presented by the merger of technology and intellectual property and considers how best the two areas should co-exist.


Trade Secret Litigation And Free Speech: Is It Time To Restrain The Plaintiffs?, Elizabeth A. Rowe Jan 2009

Trade Secret Litigation And Free Speech: Is It Time To Restrain The Plaintiffs?, Elizabeth A. Rowe

UF Law Faculty Publications

Trade secret misappropriation litigation is often criticized for its negative effects on competition and speech. In particular, some accuse plaintiff trade secret owners of filing complaints for the purpose of running competitors out of business, or restraining individuals from discussing matters which are unfavorable. This Article enters the discussion to critically assess whether there is reason to consider restricting these actions. It concludes that trade secret litigation on the whole does not inappropriately impinge on speech rights. Even if certain cases come closer to offending defendants' free speech rights, these occasions and the concerns they raise are not unique to …