On Thursday, May 6 at 12 p.m. Eastern, Seyfarth partner Erik Weibust and NERA director Kristopher Boushie will be presenting “Trade Secret Identification and Damages,” a webinar in NERA Economic Consulting’s Developments in Trade Secret Litigation webinar series. This webinar will cover relevant state and federal trade secret statues, discovery issues, and available non-monetary and
Seyfarth to Sponsor and Trade Secrets Partners to Present at the 2021 Sedona Conference on Developing Guidelines for Trade Secret Issues
Seyfarth is a sponsor of the 2021 Sedona Conference on Developing Guidelines for Trade Secret Issues, taking place on June 21-22, 2021, and is taking place virtually. The conference will present for public dialogue for the first time the consensus, non-partisan publications from the Sedona Working Group 12 on Trade Secrets, including:
- WG12 Commentary on
Webinar Recap! Employee Termination & Data Repatriation in the Remote Work Environment
In Seyfarth’s second installment in its 2021 Trade Secrets Webinar Series, Seyfarth attorneys Richard Lutkus, Bob Stevens, and Matthew Simmons outlined best practices and steps companies can take to continue to protect intellectual capital, including policies, protections, security concerns, and agreements needed to protect information in a remote environment.
As a conclusion to this webinar
Failure to Tune in to Requirements to Meet Trade Secret Status Under Illinois Trade Secrets Act Results in Award of Attorneys’ Fees Against Radio Advertising Time Business
The Illinois Trade Secrets Act (“ITSA”), which is consistent with both other states that have adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act, allows the recovery of attorneys’ fees for a party who has been forced to defend against a trade secret claim made in bad faith. See 765 ILCS 1065/5. This fee shifting provision provides an important mechanism to obtain relief for defendants who are forced to incur significant legal fees fighting baseless claims.
Continue Reading Failure to Tune in to Requirements to Meet Trade Secret Status Under Illinois Trade Secrets Act Results in Award of Attorneys’ Fees Against Radio Advertising Time Business
Texas Federal Jury Awards $152 Million in Trade Secret Misappropriation Case Interrupted by COVID-19
After a months-long delay due to an outbreak of COVID-19 during the first trial, a federal jury in Texas awarded a $152 million verdict—including $120 million in punitive damages—in a trade secret misappropriation case between rival software development companies.
Case Summary
In 2019, software company ResMan LLC (“Resman”) sued its former customer Karya Property Management LLC (“Karya”), alleging that Karya provided its third party software consultant, co-defendant Expedien, with unauthorized access to Resman’s trade secrets in order to help it develop a competing product. Resman’s proprietary software is used to manage apartment buildings throughout the United States. In the breach-of-contract lawsuit, Resman alleged Karya gave Expedien access to its trade secrets so that it could develop its own rival property management software.
Continue Reading Texas Federal Jury Awards $152 Million in Trade Secret Misappropriation Case Interrupted by COVID-19
Dawn Mertineit Named Co-Editor of Trading Secrets Blog
We want to share some exciting news with our blog followers. Dawn Mertineit, Seyfarth partner and member of the firm’s Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Competes group, is co-editor of our Trading Secrets blog. She joins Robert Milligan, Trading Secrets editor, Seyfarth partner, and co-chair of the Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Compete group.
Hoverboard Barbie: A Novelty Toy Without a Novel Concept
The California Court of Appeal recently upheld the dismissal of claims against Mattel, which alleged that Mattel stole the idea for its flying Barbie doll from Technology from Heaven Unlimited (“TFHU”). Applying New York law, the Court found that Mattel did not misappropriate TFHU’s idea to create a flying Barbie using drone technology, as this idea did not have general novelty, even if the idea was novel to the buyer. Moving forward, companies should ensure that they have clear policies and procedures in place before accepting ideas and before entering into contracts for the disclosure of ideas, because whether an idea may be novel may depend on the timing of the contract.
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Join the AIPLA Trade Secret Committee for a Trade Secret Master Class: How to Settle Trade Secret Disputes
Please join the Trade Secret Committee of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, which is chaired by Seyfarth partner Erik Weibust, for Part I of its Trade Secret Master Series: How to Settle Trade Secret Disputes with Jim Pooley. The event will be held virtually on March 9, 2021 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Eastern.
Trade secret
Spam Trap Evading Plaintiff Falls into Statutory Preemption Trap under Delaware Trade Secret Act
Consistent with many jurisdictions which have adopted the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, Delaware’s version expressly preempts common law claims based on the misappropriation of trade secrets. See 6 Del. C. § 2007. In a recent opinion, Vice Chancellor Slights of the Court of Chancery dismissed a claim for unjust enrichment based on defendant’s alleged misappropriation and use of plaintiff’s confidential and proprietary data because Delaware’s trade secret statute “occupies the filed” and preempts claims for common law unjust enrichment.
Continue Reading Spam Trap Evading Plaintiff Falls into Statutory Preemption Trap under Delaware Trade Secret Act
Now Available! Seyfarth’s 50 State Non-Compete Desktop Reference
50 State Desktop Reference
What Businesses Need to Know About Non-Competes and Trade Secrets Law, 2020-2021 Edition
Seyfarth’s Trade Secrets, Computer Fraud & Non-Competes practice group is pleased to provide the 2020-2021 edition of our 50 State Desktop Reference, which surveys the most-asked questions related to restrictive covenants and trade secrets in all 50 states,