Gibbes Burton Llc

South Carolina creators using copyrighted material need fair-use analysis — four-factor test (purpose, nature, amount, market effect) determines whether use is lawful without permission.

South Carolina trade secrets are protected under both state Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) and federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA, 2016). No registration required — but reasonable secrecy efforts are.

Patents are entirely federal — granted by the USPTO and litigated in federal district court. South Carolina infringement actions are filed in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.