LibGuides: Olivia Lipnic's Libguide on Trade Secrets: Administrative Law

About Administrative Law

Administrative law is the law that governs government agencies and how they operate. It also grants specific legislative/law making powers to the agencies. In a way, government agencies aid the U.S. Congress in interpreting and enforcing laws relating to their specific agency. This is beneficial because typically these agencies are more qualified in these specific areas of the law. Each government agency governs different areas of the law, so the U.S. Government Manual can come in handy when you need to know which powers have been granted to a specific government agency.

United States Patent and Trademark Office

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency under the U.S. Department of Commerce, and they grant various protections to inventions and products. The USPTO also advises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and other government agencies on intellectual property law matters. Additionally, the USPTO has the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. They act as a court and can review decisions made by patent examiners in various proceedings. The board is made up of statutory members and administrative patent judges. Judges on the board must be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce.
- Trade Secret Policy
- Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) (2020)

United States Trade Representative

The Office of the United Stated Trade Representative handles various matters involving intellectual property, and trade secrets. Specifically, they work to ensure both the protection of intellectual property, and innovation and growth of the U.S. economy. Additionally, they also work closely with the World Trade Organization on matters involving intellectual property.
Special 301 Annual Report - a review of the global state of intellectual property rights, protection, and enforcement.

Disclaimer

This site was written by a law student who has not yet been admitted to a bar and is not licensed to give a legal opinion. This site is intended for informational and research purposes only; it does NOT constitute legal advice and nothing herein should be construed as such. This is an educational site that contains resource samplings, but is not an exhaustive collection. While every effort has been made to ensure that the included hyperlinks connect to the correct website, results are not guaranteed. This site is not updated, nor does it necessarily reflect the current status of the law. Prior to making any legal decisions, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your state. Use of this website, including contact with anyone associated with this site, does not create an attorney-client relationship, nor attorney-client privilege. All liability relating to the use of the information on this site is disclaimed.