On January 5, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission announced its proposal of a new rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompete clauses on their workers and invalidate nearly all existing noncompetes currently in effect. According to the FTC, this will affect 30 million, or one in five, American workers currently covered by a noncompete
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Maine Magistrate Recommends Dismissal of Defense Against Trade Secrets Claim
The inevitable disclosure doctrine is a concept rooted in common law that allows a plaintiff to prove trade secret misappropriation by “demonstrating that defendant’s new employment will inevitably lead him [or her] to rely on plaintiff’s trade secrets.” PepsiCo., Inc. v. Redmond, 54 F.3d 1262, 1269 (7th Cir. 1995). Thus, the defendant threatens misappropriation merely…
Not Immune From Misappropriation: Companies Fight Over COVID-19 Vaccine Intellectual Property
At the height of the pandemic, companies and governments around the world scrambled to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines. One such relationship involving HDT Bio, a Seattle-based biotechnology company, and Emcure, one of India’s largest manufacturers and distributors of generic drugs, has resulted in a fight over ownership of the life-changing formula. According to HDT…
No Award of Attorneys’ Fees for Claims Filed Without Factual Support
In 1992, Elizabeth Elting and Philip R. Shawe founded TransPerfect Global, Inc. (“TransPerfect”), a provider of language and technology solutions for businesses around the globe. When Ms. Elting wanted to dissolve her relationship with TransPerfect, the company held an auction and a custodian made some of TransPerfect’s confidential information available to potential bidders. The custodian’s…
Licensing Terms Can Undermine Efforts to Protect Trade Secrets
A company claiming trade-secret misappropriation must show that it took reasonable measures to keep secret its information. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit’s recent decision in Turret Labs USA, Inc. v. CargoSprint, LLC, No. 21-952, 2022 WL 701161 (2d Cir. Mar. 9, 2022), confirms that licensing terms can directly affect the reasonable-measures…
Virtual Trials Increase Courtroom Access but Also Risk Trade Secret Disclosures
For better or for worse, virtual civil trials—a product necessitated by the pandemic—are likely here to stay. Proponents of virtual civil trials laud the virtual format, in part because it provides participants with opportunities for greater engagement. For example, jurors might be able to see and hear evidence better via their computer screens and headphones…
Motorola Solutions v. Hytera Commc’ns Corp. Ltd.
In an order filed January 8, 2021, the U.S. District Court judge overseeing the case cut Motorola’s $760 million jury award against competitor Hytera Corp. by over $200 million. Judge Charles Norgle of the Northern District of Illinois noted that the he made the decision “[w]ith a cool head and a keen eye.” The court…
InnerWorkings, Inc. v. Battaglia
Marketing agency InnerWorkings, Inc. filed suit under the Illinois Trade Secrets Act against a former sales executive who left the company for one of its direct competitors, HALO Branded Solutions. InnerWorkings does not allege that the former sales executive, Brian Battaglia, absconded with or stole trade secrets when he left for HALO.…
What Is a Trade Secret?
By Will Rava
A company looking to protect its own trade secrets or manage risk involving others’ trade secrets must first consider whether company information qualifies as a trade secret. Often a threshold issue in litigation, this is also an important question for companies and people to consider when entrusted with access to the information of others.…
UAB dba Planner 5d sues Facebook & Princeton
By John Gray
UAB dba Planner 5D sued Facebook and Princeton for copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation under both the Defend Trade Secrets Act and California UTSA, based on use of an AI dataset. The plaintiff alleges that it owns a large dataset of three-dimensional objects and scenes. Princeton allegedly downloaded thousands of scenes by scraping the…