On Thursday, June 15, the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) experienced a data security breach resulting in the loss of the personal information of potentially millions of Louisianans due to a global cyberattack involving the exploitation by hackers of a vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer, an electronic file transfer tool developed by Progress Software. In … Continue Reading
We hope you and your employees had a festive holiday season and happy New Year! It is always helpful to review your company policies and procedures on an annual basis, and policies and procedures on protection of trade secrets and confidential information are no different. Below are some tips to remember and questions to consider … Continue Reading
Trade Secret Insider co-founders Joe Lavigne and P.J. Kee were guests on the recent HR Works Podcast episode “HR Works 128: Employee Monitoring and Protecting Trade Secrets.” During the episode, Joe, P.J., and show host Jim Davis discuss issues employers have while monitoring remote employee productivity as well as how employers can protect their trade secrets … Continue Reading
A trade secret fight has broken out among rival food companies. Mars, Inc. contends that a former executive downloaded several thousand files containing trade secrets and confidential business information shortly before switching sides to work for JAB Holding Company, LLC and its subsidiary Pret Panera Holding Company, Inc. The former executive is not Mars’s only … Continue Reading
In Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media, the U.S. Supreme Court held that government agencies can withhold a private company’s records from public disclosure under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) if the company has treated the information as confidential and also received promises from the government agency to maintain the information’s … Continue Reading
The large majority of employment based trade secret claims start with an employer uncovering evidence that its employee or former employee improperly downloaded confidential business information. But a recent case in Boston illustrates that such evidence may not be necessary to bring a trade secret or unfair competition claim. The Dispute. In Amgen USA Inc. v. … Continue Reading
The Louisiana Supreme Court has not addressed whether a claim under the Louisiana Uniform Trade Secrets Act (LUTSA) precludes a claim for conversion of confidential information. But the U.S. Fifth Circuit recently did in Brad Services, LLC v. Irex Corporation, No. 17-30660 (October 17, 2018), finding that these conversion claims are not preempted. Factual Background. Brad … Continue Reading
The popularity of craft beers has skyrocketed. A report cited in Fortune claims that microbreweries’ market share increased from 5.7 percent in 2011 to 12 percent in 2015. This growth has led to competition as microbreweries capitalize on the growing appetite for their product. Unsurprisingly, competition has led to allegations of unlawful conduct. Summit Brewing Company, one of the … Continue Reading
The Sixth Circuit recently held that an employer’s “playbook” was protected from disclosure and use, even if the business information was not a “trade secret.” (Orthofix, Inc. v. Hunter, No. 15-3216 (Nov. 17, 2015)) Fortunately for Orthofix, its employment agreements included non-disclosure provisions. The Sixth Circuit found that those provisions protected more than just “trade secrets” and that … Continue Reading
Fortune Magazine released its first installment in a three-part story on what it’s calling “The Hack of the Century.” The story on the Sony hack is turning into a cautionary tale on what companies should not do to protect their computer networks. And it’s worth taking the time to read this compelling and in-depth look into what may … Continue Reading
Cyber-security and data breaches are hot-button issues that recently received some well-deserved attention from the federal government. Last year we posted about the FBI’s efforts to combat economic espionage and trade secret theft. At that time, the Assistant Director of the FBI—who was testifying before a Senate subcommittee—offered salient advice on how American companies could … Continue Reading
The recent decision in Wellogix, Inc. v. SAP America, Inc., No. 14-0741 (S.D. Tex. Nov. 10, 2014), demonstrates that federal courts can rely on contractual forum selection clauses to dismiss or transfer trade secret theft cases. It’s a reminder to weigh how these clauses could impact litigation strategies and to consider the specific language negotiated … Continue Reading
This post was originally published as an article in Volume 23 of the Louisiana Employment Law Letter. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans recently held that an employer’s policy for protecting its confidential and proprietary information was unlawful under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Specifically, the Fifth Circuit held that a … Continue Reading
Perhaps the most significant of the employment law bills passed by the Louisiana Legislature this year is the “Personal Online Account Privacy Protection Act” signed into by Governor Jindal on May 23, 2014. Louisiana is now the 17th state to enact a “password protection law” aimed at protecting an employee’s personal online content included in … Continue Reading
This is Part One in a three-part series on preventing unfair competition and trade secret theft by former employees. It’s an all too familiar story. A company spends substantial time and money training employees to run and manage a specific business division. The employees receive access to the company’s confidential information—customer contacts, pricing information, … Continue Reading
Over the last decade, smart phones, laptops, and tablets have become essential components for a successful business model. Many business leaders correlate increased mobile connectivity with increased productivity. In theory, remote access to company data allows employees to efficiently work anytime, anywhere. “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policies have emerged as one of the most popular options … Continue Reading
Are published baseball card prices protectible as trade secrets? That’s one question raised in a lawsuit recently filed in Seattle, Washington. Beckett Media, LLC, a publisher of pricing and other information on collectibles and specialty products, sued Check Out My, LLC, the owner of COMC.com, which offers consignment services for collectible cards and other memorabilia. … Continue Reading
An employer in Texas did nearly everything right to protect its stolen trade secrets—except adequately specify what the injunction restrained the employee from doing. The opinion in Lasser v. Amistco Separation Products Inc., No. 01-13-00690 (Tex. App.—Houston Feb. 6, 2014), highlights the need for clearly defining restraints in any injunctive relief sought. Amistco Separation Products, … Continue Reading
The Office of Inspector General and a joint staff for two ranking Republican lawmakers recently issued critical reports on the FDA’s 2010-2011 employee monitoring for trade-secret leaks (see OIG and Joint Staff). They criticize the FDA for essentially “spying” on its employees without first assessing whether the computer monitoring may violate federal wiretapping laws and … Continue Reading
