721.071 Trade secrets. - Florida Statutes

721.071 Trade secrets.

   (1) If a developer or any other person filing material with the division pursuant to this chapter expects the division to keep the material confidential on grounds that the material constitutes a trade secret, as that term is defined in s. 812.081, the developer or other person shall file the material together with an affidavit of confidentiality. “Filed material” for purposes of this section shall mean material that is filed with the division with the expectation that the material will be kept confidential and that is accompanied by an affidavit of confidentiality. Filed material that is trade secret information includes, but is not limited to, service contracts relating to the operation of reservation systems and those items and matters described in s. 815.04(3)(a).

   (2) The affidavit that must accompany filed material pursuant to subsection (1) shall contain a general claim of confidentiality; describe the filed materials; identify the basis upon which the claim of confidentiality is made; and contain supporting argument, precedent, legal citation, or other supporting documentation to enable the division to satisfy itself that the claim of confidentiality is not merely specious. The division shall have no duty to inquire into the legal or technical sufficiency of a claim of confidentiality that meets the minimum requirements of this subsection.

   (3) In the event that the division is satisfied as to the facial validity of the claim of confidentiality, the division shall keep confidential the affidavit and supporting documentation as well as the filed material and shall not disclose such affidavit, documentation, or filed material to any third party except upon administrative order pursuant to chapter 120 or upon circuit court order.

   (4) In the event of any administrative or circuit court proceeding relating to any third party attempt to compel disclosure of filed material or to challenge the confidentiality thereof, the developer or other person who filed the material shall be granted leave to appear as amicus curiae before the administrative law judge or the court. The prevailing party in any such attempt to compel disclosure shall be entitled to recover his or her reasonable attorney’s fees and costs from the losing party.

   (5) In the event that an administrative law judge or court determines that the filed material is not trade secret information, this subsequent disclosure by the division of the filed material pursuant to s. 119.07(1) shall not be construed as a commission of an offense against intellectual property within the meaning of s. 815.04, nor shall the prior refusal of the division to disclose the filed material subject the division to penalty or attorney’s fees under chapter 119.

History. s. 6, ch. 95-274; s. 301, ch. 96-410; s. 1777, ch. 97-102.