Meritas Capability Webinar - California’s Prohibition Against Non-Compete Agreements (B&P Code § 16600), the Protection of Trade Secrets and the Practical Relationship Between the Two
Zynga May Shed Light on Its Own Practices in Going After Former Employee for Trade Secrets Theft
The Virginia Court of Appeals reversed a $2 billion jury award for trade secret misappropriation under the Virginia Uniform Trade Secrets Act (VUTSA). The appellate court found error in the jury instruction for unjust...more
Are certain claims prevented when bringing a trade secret claim? Yes. Generally speaking the Arkansas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (AUTSA) displaces conflicting tort, restitutionary, and other law concerning the misappropriation...more
How can you defend yourself if you are accused of misappropriation of trade secrets? This is a complex area of the law and there is no one-size-fits-all defense. Developing a strategy to successfully defend against a claim...more
Who can be held accountable for misappropriation of Trade Secrets? The Arkansas Uniform Trade Secrets Act answers this question, explaining that the following may be liable for trade secret misappropriation: Individuals....more
What must you show to prove that someone misappropriated trade secrets? The Arkansas Uniform Trade Secrets Act provides that misappropriation of trade secrets can be shown in one or more of three ways: acquisition or physical...more
Can you get a court to stop someone from sharing customer/client lists in Arkansas? As explained in this blog post, it depends. But often the question is debatable and hiring an attorney experienced in unfair competition...more
In recent years, juries have returned verdicts in trade secret disputes of $2.04 billion, $570 million, $152 million, and $105 million. The enormity of these verdicts reflect the importance the modern economy places on trade...more
Congratulations! Your startup is developing a revolutionary product or service that has the potential to transform an industry. Whatever the nature of that new product or service, at its core is an innovation – perhaps an...more
A trade secret derives its value by being kept secret, yet a trade secret owner is required to identify its trade secret at some point during litigation to apprise the defendant as to what information was allegedly...more
A federal district court recently issued summary judgment in favor of a retail defendant in a trade secret misappropriation case involving the alleged misappropriation of a CBD cream formula. On September 3, 2020, Healthcare...more
Biotechnology companies in the healthcare/pharmaceutical realm are in an exceptionally competitive field, with many companies competing against each other for a chance to market similar innovative therapeutics. These...more
Earlier this month, plaintiff Bright Side, LLC dba Herbal Edibles, a manufacturer of cannabis edibles, filed a lawsuit in New Mexico state court to enforce a 3-year non-compete and enjoin the misappropriation of its trade...more
On May 11, 2016, the Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”) was signed into law with sweeping bipartisan support, passing unanimously in the Senate, and by a vote of 410-2 in the House. In the current political climate, passing...more
What companies need to know as disputes grow larger, more frequent - Given the primacy of technology to the operation of the global economy, it should come as no surprise that jury awards in trade secret disputes are...more
Late last year, a California appellate court reaffirmed longstanding principles that have important lessons for employers hoping to prevent their employees from taking trade secrets with them if they leave to work for a...more
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...more
Exploring business partnerships often involves or even requires sharing highly confidential trade secret information. The data center industry is no exception, and its participants have in recent years faced litigation...more
Real estate startup HouseCanary made headlines when it secured a $700 million judgment against Title Source, Inc., now known as Amrock, in a trade secrets misappropriation case. In short, HouseCanary claimed that Amrock...more
At the end of 2019, Coty Inc. (“Coty”) expanded its brand portfolio by closing a notable $600 million deal for a majority stake in reality star Kylie Jenner’s young cosmetics company, King Kylie LLC (d/b/a Kylie Cosmetics)....more
The right to a jury trial is one of the most important features of modern trade secrets law. But as a recently issued Order from the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals (“Court of Appeals”) illustrates, the jury trial right is...more
A trade secret is any information used in one's business that derives independent economic value from being kept secret. Unlike patents, trade secrets are protected indefinitely for as long as they remain a secret. Due in...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Knowledge that a competitor or former employee is misappropriating trade secrets is difficult to come by. At the same time, however, once a company has notice that misappropriation may be occurring, the...more
In Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia v. One Sixty Over Ninety, the Georgia Court of Appeals held recently that a state entity is not immune from trade secret claims brought under the Georgia Trade Secrets...more
When many people think of trade secrets, they envision something mysterious and legendary—such as the original Coca-Cola formula locked in an Atlanta vault, or Col. Sanders’ recipe for fried chicken. But many companies have...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed in part and affirmed in part a district court’s decision that a trademark owner’s infringement claims were time-barred, finding that Pennsylvania applies a separate...more