head start rule: A type of judicial relief sometimes granted in trade secret infringement actions wherein the infringer is prevented from using a trade secret for as long a period of time as it would have taken him independently to develop the information that comprise the secret. In other words, the rightful trade secret owner is provided with a commercial “head start” in the information’s use. This “head start” remedy shows recognition that the essential value of a trade secret is the competitive advantage it affords its owner. Related terms: “trade secret infringement action.”