According to a recent Arizona federal court decision, (a) an employee who had the right to access his employer’s confidential emails did not violate the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), 18 U.S.C. § 1030, by downloading 300 such documents to his personal computer and sharing them with a recently terminated employee; (b) an employer may pursue either
Continue Reading Arizona Federal Court Issues Significant Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Trade Secret Preemption Decision

MPI, a Texas company, went to Kentucky and allegedly attempted to hire two Luvata employees, Foster and Meredith. Foster joined MPI soon thereafter. Over the course of the next few months while Meredith remained a Luvata employee, he and Foster allegedly spoke by phone repeatedly. In addition, prior to leaving Luvata for MPI, Meredith allegedly copied his employer’s computer
Continue Reading Despite Allegations That Something Fishy Was Occurring, Kentucky Federal District Court Rules That Texas Corporate Defendant Was Not Subject To Personal Jurisdiction In Trade Secret Misappropriation Suit

By Ryan Malloy and Joshua Salinas

The Court of Appeals of Indiana recently reversed and remanded a 2008 suit brought by the North American Boxing Council (NABC) against HDNet LLC (HDNet), in which the NABC alleged that HDNet stole its idea for a mixed martial arts (MMA) broadcast series after the parties had discussed a broadcast arrangement that never materialized
Continue Reading Indiana Appellate Court Finds That Indiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act Preempts Common Law Misappropriation and Civil Conversion Claims In Mixed Martial Arts Broadcasting Dispute

By Robert Milligan and Jeffrey Oh

In business, as in life, trust and communication are key to healthy and productive relationships. When these crucial elements are lost, as in the case of What 4 LLC v. Roman & Williams, Inc., 2012 WL 1815629 (N.D.Cal.), the fallout is often contentious and requires court intervention.

In a recent decision granting in

Continue Reading California Federal District Court Finds That Plaintiffs May Assert A Claim For Alleged Misleading Actions of Agent and Misuse of Confidential Information Not Rising To Level Of A Trade Secret In Youth Hostel Dispute

A recent California federal district court decision in FormFactor, Inc. v. Micro-Probe, Inc., Case No. C 10-3095 PJH highlights the importance of companies proactively taking measures to protect their trade secrets before litigation arises and specifically identifying trade secrets that have allegedly been misappropriated.

FormFactor, a company which designs, manufactures, sells and supports high-performance advanced wafer probe card assemblies

Continue Reading California Federal District Court Issues Decision On Reasonable Secrecy Measures, Trade Secret Identification, and Preemption

In a recent decision, Wilcox Indus. Corp. v. Hansen, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63668 (D.N.H. May 7, 2012), a federal judge for the District of New Hampshire interpreted the New Hampshire Uniform Trade Secrets Act’s (the “NHUTSA”) preemption provision to preempt all non-contract claims based on unauthorized use of information even if the information at issue is not a
Continue Reading New Hampshire Federal District Court Broadly Interprets Preemption Provision In State’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act

Thanks to a recent decision of the Georgia Supreme Court, the assignee of confidential and proprietary information has found itself in a Catch 22 dilemma, precluded from suing under the state’s trade secrets statute because the information did not qualify as trade secrets but prohibited by that statute from bringing related common law claims. Robbins v. Supermarket Equipment Sales, LLC,
Continue Reading No Cause of Action Under Georgia’s or Utah’s Trade Secrets Statutes for Misappropriation of Confidential and Proprietary Information Not Qualifying as Trade Secret

In a recent, lengthy decision involving allegations of deceitful acts and unfair competition, the Utah Court of Appeals largely affirmed the lower court’s grant of summary judgment to the defendants with respect to a complaint alleging misappropriation of proprietary data and related conduct. Particularly noteworthy, the appellate court held that the Utah Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA) preempts many common
Continue Reading Utah Appellate Court Holds That “Confidential” Price List Is Not A Trade Secret But A Contract Bid Could Be, And Uniform Trade Secrets Act Preempts Common Law Claims Based On Misusing Confidential Information Not A “Trade Secret”

St. Patrick’s Day calls to mind the traditional Irish folklore of leprechauns and their hidden pots of gold. These hidden pots of gold illustrate the fundamental and straightforward rule for protecting prized trade secret information – keep it secret. A recent Ohio District Court, the Honorable Judge Michael R. Barrett presiding, denied a Plaintiff’s motion for Temporary Restraining Order because

Continue Reading Keep Your Pot of Gold Hidden, Ohio Court Rules Information Posted Online Not Trade Secret

The Trade Secret Subcommittee of the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California will have a live program entitled “Hot Topics in California Trade Secret Law” on June 27, 2011 in Los Angeles, California and on June 29, 2011 in San Francisco, California.  Seyfarth Shaw’s Downtown Office will host the Los Angeles event. 

Robert Milligan will be speaking

Continue Reading Seyfarth Shaw’s Downtown Los Angeles Office Hosts State Bar “Hot Topics in California Trade Secret Law” Program