Vermont Trade Secret Laws: UTSA, Remedies & Deadlines

Vermont's trade secret statute, the Vermont Trade Secrets Act (VTSA), is codified at 9 V.S.A. §§ 4601 to 4609. Effective July 1, 1996 and modeled on the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA), it protects confidential commercial information from misappropriation. Civil claims must be filed within six years of discovering, or reasonably discovering, the misappropriation, under the dedicated limitations statute at 12 V.S.A. § 523, longer than the three-year period used in most other states' UTSA enactments.

This guide is part of our Trade Secret Laws by State series.

Information last verified on 2026-06-25. This article presents general legal information, not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a lawyer licensed in Vermont. See also our full Trade Secret Laws by State series.

Does Vermont have a trade secret law?

The Vermont Trade Secrets Act (VTSA), codified at 9 V.S.A. §§ 4601 to 4609, took effect July 1, 1996. Under § 4609, it does not apply to earlier misappropriation or to the later continuation of misappropriation that began before that date. The VTSA closely follows the Uniform Trade Secrets Act promulgated by the Uniform Law Commission, placing Vermont within the broad majority of states that have adopted the UTSA framework. The Act governs civil claims for misappropriation of trade secrets and preempts most competing common-law or statutory tort claims that are based on the same underlying conduct (9 V.S.A. § 4607). Vermont businesses and individuals whose confidential commercial information is stolen or misused may bring a claim under the VTSA in Vermont state court or, where the secret relates to interstate or foreign commerce, in federal court under the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.

What counts as a trade secret and misappropriation in Vermont?

Under 9 V.S.A. § 4601(3), a trade secret is information of any kind, including a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique, or process, that satisfies two requirements:

1. It derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to or readily ascertainable by others who could obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.
2. It is the subject of efforts that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain its secrecy.

Both elements must be present. A business cannot rely on secrecy alone if it has not taken reasonable protective measures such as nondisclosure agreements, access controls, or clearly marked confidentiality policies. Courts evaluate reasonableness based on the nature of the information and the industry context.

Misappropriation under 9 V.S.A. § 4601(2) includes acquiring a trade secret while knowing or having reason to know it was acquired by improper means. It also covers disclosure or use without consent under the statutory conditions involving improper means, knowledge of confidentiality duties, or knowledge of accident or mistake before a material change of position. 9 V.S.A. § 4601 does not expressly name reverse engineering or independent development. Independent discovery without improper acquisition or use or breach of a confidentiality duty does not itself establish misappropriation.

Remedies and the limitations period in Vermont

A plaintiff who proves misappropriation under the VTSA may seek the following remedies:

• Injunctive relief to stop actual or threatened misappropriation; in exceptional circumstances a court may permit continued use conditioned on a reasonable royalty (9 V.S.A. § 4602).
• Damages for actual loss caused by the misappropriation plus unjust enrichment not captured in the actual-loss calculation; in the alternative, a court may award a reasonable royalty for the period of unauthorized use (9 V.S.A. § 4603(a)).
• Exemplary damages if the misappropriation was malicious. Vermont's statute (which calls this remedy punitive damages) requires only a finding of malice, not the willful-and-malicious standard used in the model UTSA, and it sets no fixed multiplier or cap on the award (9 V.S.A. § 4603(b)).
• Attorney fees: Vermont's statute makes an award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the substantially prevailing party mandatory in any action under the chapter, rather than discretionary or conditioned on bad faith or willful and malicious conduct (9 V.S.A. § 4603(a)(4)).

The limitations period is six years from the date the misappropriation was discovered or, through the exercise of reasonable diligence, should have been discovered, under 12 V.S.A. § 523, a limitations statute in Title 12 rather than in the VTSA itself. This is longer than the three-year period most other UTSA states use. Courts apply the discovery rule broadly, so a claimant who has sufficient facts to suspect misappropriation should act promptly rather than wait for certainty.

How the federal DTSA applies in Vermont

The federal Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1836-1839, creates a federal civil claim for misappropriation of any trade secret related to a product or service used in, or intended for use in, interstate or foreign commerce. The DTSA does not preempt Vermont's VTSA (18 U.S.C. § 1838); plaintiffs routinely plead both statutes to maximize remedies and preserve forum flexibility.

Federal DTSA remedies parallel the VTSA: injunctions (subject to statutory limits on restraining lawful employment), damages including unjust enrichment or a reasonable royalty, exemplary damages up to twice the award for willful and malicious misappropriation, and attorney fees. The DTSA also provides an ex parte seizure remedy for emergency situations where a defendant might destroy or disseminate the stolen secret before notice can be given (18 U.S.C. § 1836(b)(2)). The federal limitations period is three years from discovery (18 U.S.C. § 1836(d)), shorter than Vermont's own six-year state-law period under 12 V.S.A. § 523.

Employers must include a whistleblower-immunity notice in any confidentiality agreement signed or updated after May 11, 2016 (18 U.S.C. § 1833(b)(3)). Failure to include that notice forfeits the right to seek exemplary damages and attorney fees under the DTSA for claims arising under that agreement. Federal criminal liability may also arise under the Economic Espionage Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1832, for intentional theft of trade secrets.

This article presents general legal information only, not legal advice, as of 2026-06-25. Trade secret law involves fact-intensive analysis specific to each situation. Consult a lawyer licensed in Vermont before taking any legal action.

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• Trade Secret Laws by State
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• Washington Trade Secret Laws
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Last updated: 2026-06-25.

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifies as a trade secret under Vermont law?

Under 9 V.S.A. § 4601(3), information qualifies as a trade secret if it has independent economic value from not being generally known or readily ascertainable and is protected by reasonable secrecy measures. Common examples include proprietary formulas, customer lists, software code, and business processes.

How long do I have to file a trade secret claim in Vermont?

Six years from the date the misappropriation was discovered, or from the date it should have been discovered with reasonable diligence, under 12 V.S.A. § 523, a dedicated limitations statute in Title 12 rather than the VTSA itself. This is longer than the three-year period used in most other UTSA states. Waiting too long after suspicion arises may still bar the claim.

What remedies are available under the Vermont Trade Secrets Act?

Courts may award injunctive relief (9 V.S.A. § 4602), actual damages plus unjust enrichment or a reasonable royalty (9 V.S.A. § 4603(a)), exemplary (punitive) damages for malicious misappropriation with no fixed multiplier (9 V.S.A. § 4603(b)), and a mandatory award of costs and attorney fees to the substantially prevailing party (9 V.S.A. § 4603(a)(4)).

Do NDAs and confidentiality policies help protect trade secrets in Vermont?

Yes. Reasonable secrecy measures are a required element of the trade-secret definition under 9 V.S.A. § 4601(3). Written nondisclosure agreements, employee training, access controls, and clear marking of confidential materials all support a trade-secret claim. Without such steps, courts may find the information was not legally protectable.

Can I bring both a Vermont state claim and a federal DTSA claim?

Yes. The DTSA does not preempt Vermont's VTSA (18 U.S.C. § 1838). Plaintiffs frequently plead both statutes to access all available remedies and to choose between state and federal court. The DTSA claim carries a three-year limitations period from discovery (18 U.S.C. § 1836(d)), while the Vermont state claim has a longer six-year period from discovery under 12 V.S.A. § 523.