WUTSA authorizes injunctions against actual or threatened misappropriation. RCW 19.108.020(1). But the statute does not displace Washington's general equitable prerequisites. A party seeking a preliminary injunction must show (1) a clear legal or equitable right; (2) a well-grounded fear of immediate invasion of that right; and (3) that the acts complained of have resulted or will result in actual and substantial injury. Tyler Pipe Industries, Inc. v. Department of Revenue, 96 Wn.2d 785, 792, 638 P.2d 1213 (1982); Kucera v. Department of Transportation, 140 Wn.2d 200, 209, 995 P.2d 63 (2000); see also RCW 7.40.020. All three criteria must be satisfied; failure on any one generally defeats relief. Federal Way Family Physicians, Inc. v. Tacoma Stands Up for Life, 106 Wn.2d 261, 721 P.2d 946 (1986).
The "clear legal or equitable right" element requires a showing of likelihood of success on the merits; the existence of an unsettled legal question is not a substitute. Tyler Pipe, 96 Wn.2d at 793. The court must also balance the relative interests of the parties and the public. Kucera, 140 Wn.2d at 209. Claimed harm cannot be speculative. Id. at 220–21. Review is for abuse of discretion.
Duration and scope. Under RCW 19.108.020(1), an injunction terminates on application when the trade secret ceases to exist, but may be continued for an additional reasonable period to eliminate the commercial advantage otherwise derived from the misappropriation. Washington appellate courts have upheld substantial injunctions where the criteria are met, including a permanent injunction in Boeing.
Royalty injunctions. Where prohibiting future use would be unreasonable, RCW 19.108.020(2) permits the court to condition future use on payment of a reasonable royalty, for no longer than the period during which use could have been prohibited. This is an underused middle path in cases where the defendant's business has been built substantially on independently developed elements.
Affirmative relief. RCW 19.108.020(3) permits the court to compel affirmative acts to protect a trade secret — the statutory hook for return-of-property, forensic-imaging, certification-of-deletion, and similar orders.