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Microsoft Promotes New Trade Secrets Bill (thestack.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A Microsoft lawyer has put forward the company's conviction that the Defend Trade Secrets Act 2015, currently being debated at the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, is necessary to protect digital businesses which are now hamstrung by having to pursue trade secret infractions — a federal crime — within state law. Though the bill, revised from its failed 2014 submission, contains necessary updates for the inevitable shortcomings of existing 1979/1985 legislation regarding trade secrets, its opponents are more interested in the way it would extend ex parte seizure law to federalize private information and data in corporate plaintiffs' lawsuits and extend the possibility for closed hearings and media injunctions.
...that is most odorous. It is usually the minor provisions, tucked into the bill by special interests, that are the most damaging to people and most beneficial to corporations.
"Ex parte" orders are orders by a judge without the party present. "Ex parte seizure" is a step between cops stealing whatever you've got without warrant, due process, or much oversight at all (aka Civil Forfeiture) and being found guilty of a crime and having punishment handed down to you. At least in this case a judge has been convinced that it's necessary to seize whatever item without you having a chance to defend yourself so some sort of warrant and/or oversight is present.