Legal Definitions - reverse FOIA suit

A reverse FOIA suit is a legal action taken by the owner of a trade secret to prevent a government agency from releasing that secret to the public. The term "reverse" refers to the fact that the lawsuit is initiated by the owner of the secret, rather than by someone seeking access to government information.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that governs the release of government documents and materials to the public. However, there are exceptions to this law, including trade secrets. If a government agency receives a FOIA request for information that includes a trade secret, the owner of that secret can file a reverse FOIA suit to prevent the agency from releasing the information.

For example, if a company has developed a new technology that it wants to keep secret, it may file a reverse FOIA suit if a government agency receives a FOIA request for information about that technology. The company would argue that the release of the information would harm its business interests and that the information should be kept confidential.