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In re Continental Tire The Americas LLC
February 13, 2012 | Supreme Court of Texas
Texas Court to Hear Arguments Over Scope of Protective Order for "Tire Trade Secrets"

On April 19, 2013, the Supreme Court of Texas agreed to hear whether a Houston trial court ordered an overly broad disclosure of Defendant's trade secrets, such that it constitutes a "constitutional taking."

In IN RE CONTINENTAL TIRE THE AMERICAS, LLC,, Plaintiffs' allege that a defect in Continental Tire the Americas' (CTA) tires is responsible for the fatal crash of Juan Hernandez, and his daughter and granddaughter. Plaintiffs are all members of the Hernandez family. CTA claims it possess trade secrets in the tire and its manufacturing process. Furthermore, the company argues that the trial court's flimsy protective order constitutes an abuse of discretion: it not only failed to protect CTA's alleged trade secrets in the present case, but allows potential litigants in other states to access the confidential information in order to promote "shared discovery." CTA claims the extent of disclosure, as proscribed by the trial court, is so egregious it constitutes a constitutional taking without just compensation.

Per CTA's brief, under Texas Rule of Evidence 507, trade secrets, even if relevant, are privileged and not discoverable, unless the requesting party makes a particularized, evidentiary showing that disclosure of the trade secrets is necessary for a fair adjudication of the case. When the requesting party satisfies that burden of proof, the trial court ordering disclosure must issue a protective order sufficient to safeguard the trade secrets from further disclosure. Tex. R. Evid. 507.

NCSoft Corporation, et al. v. Bluehole Studio, Inc., et al.
January 9, 2012 | United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
After battling a rival video-game developer for over two years in Korea, NCSoft now brings the fight to U.S. courts

Having launched a criminal investigation and a civil litigation in the Republic of Korea, NCSoft Corporation and NC Interactive, Inc. (collectively, “NCSoft”) now bring their court battle against rival, Bluehole Studio, Inc. (“Bluehole”) and its U.S. subsidiary, En Masse Entertainment, Inc., to the Southern District of New York. NCSoft alleges that the founders of Bluehole Studio—former employees of NCSoft—took “copious amounts” of confidential and proprietary NCSoft information, computer software, hardware and artwork relating to a popular “massive multiplayer online role-playing game” (“MMORPG”), Lineage 3. NCSoft continues to state in its complaint that the former employees planned to create a competing product using the same work they did for developing Lineage 3 while at NCSoft.

In 2009 the former employees were convicted by a Korean criminal court for the theft of valuable trade secrets from NCSoft and the convictions were upheld in part by the appellate court. A year later, a Korean civil court held that the same employees misappropriated NCSoft’s trade secrets and awarded NCSoft damages in addition to an injunction preventing the employees and Bluehole from further using NCSoft’s trade secrets. On appeal, a Korean appellate court upheld the injunction but reversed on damages. Currently, the criminal convictions and civil judgment are pending on appeal before Korea’s highest court.

NCSoft and Bluehole’s court battle now crossed the seas into the U.S. since Bluehole announced plans to release in the spring of 2012 an English-language version of a 2011 Korean MMORPG, TERA, which was allegedly developed using NCSoft trade secrets, notwithstanding the injunction from the Korean civil court.

NCSoft is seeking a preliminary and permanent injunction to prevent Bluehole from launching TERA in the U.S. Alternatively, it seeks damages for the “substantial harm that such a launch will inevitable cause NCSoft.” NCSoft’s other claims in the complaint include copyright infringement, breach of confidence, unfair competition and unjust enrichment.

Sean Morrison Entertainment, LLC et al v. Thompson et al
December 28, 2011 | United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois - Chicago
Television producers allege court proceeding spoiled outcome of reality show

Contestants on a women's mixed martial arts reality show called "Ultimate Women's Challenge" were sued by the show's owners and investors for willful misappropriation of trade secrets and tortuous interference with prospective economic advantage. Each of the sixteen female contestants on the show signed a “Participant Agreement and Release from Liability” before filming commenced. However, seven of the contestants filed a lawsuit against the show's producer in Wisconsin circuit court and, in doing so, revealed the outcome of multiple matches and the ultimate winner of the series. The plaintiffs Sean Morrison Entertainment (SME) claimed that the lawsuit should have been filed under seal in order to prevent the events and outcome of the reality show from being revealed. Plaintiffs also claim that the contestants and their attorneys leaked details about "Ultimate Women's Challenge" to the media and various websites. The lawyers who represented the contestants in the Wisconsin lawsuit were also been joined as defendants.

On December 28, 2011, the Northern Illinois District court dismissed the owner-investor claims against the MMA contestants for lack of personal or specific jurisdiction. The court asserted that SME's alleged contacts were too attenuated for Illinois to be the proper forum for their claims. Further, citing only an "impact theory of minimal contacts," the court concludes that SME failed to allege activities by Thompson et al "that create a substantial connection with the forum state." (See Also Burger King v. 471 US at 475-476). Furthermore, the court found none of the individuals joined the action had any substantive connection to Illinois that would warrant personal jurisdiction for the court. Thus the Illinois court never reached the substantive issue of the trade secret misappropriation by the athletes in filing their separate Wisconsin matter, as the SME claim was dismissed for want of personal or specific jurisdiction.

Daou v. Huffington
October 25, 2011 | New York County, Supreme Court of the State of New York
Plaintiffs Claim Idea for Huffington Post Was Stolen From Them

Plaintiffs filed this action against Arianna Huffington and the HuffingtonPost.Com, Inc. to recover what they felt was unjust enrichment and fraudulant activity on the part of defendants. Plaintiffs contend that the idea for the democratic-leaning news and blogging site was theirs originally and that they communicated this idea to defendants, who then went ahead and created TheHuffingtonPost without any attribution to plaintiffs.

Document Security Systems Inc. v. Coupons.com Inc.
October 24, 2011 | United States District Court for the Western District of New York
Digital Document Security company DSS Sues Coupons.com for Alleged Theft of Coupon Technology

On July 13, 2012, the US District Court for the Western District of New York gave notice to the parties in Document Security Systems, Inc. (DSS) v. Coupons.com rescheduling the motions hearing set for October 9th, 2012 . Motions will now be heard on August 16th regarding DSS’s October 24, 2011 claims against Coupons.com for breach of contract, misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition and unjust enrichment. Specifically, DSS is a cloud-computing data integration company specializing in anti-counterfeiting, authentication, and mass-serialization technologies. The lawsuit alleges that Coupons.com misappropriated DSS’s proprietary digital copy protection technology, using said technology in their coupons without authorization. The business relationship between DSS and Coupons.com was centered around DSS’s secret “Blockout” technology that when placed onto an image, will render a print-out of the image unable to be copied or scanned by high-end electronic devices (Complaint ¶ 2). Coupons.com representatives signed non-disclosure agreements and were shown three kinds of DSS security technology including the proprietary Blockout software, for the purposes of “evaluating a potential business relationship (Complaint ¶ 24; quoting 2005 NDA ¶ 3). DSS alleges in its complaint that Coupons.com used the proprietary Blockout software in their digital coupons without paying for or being granted rights to commercial use of their proprietary product in any contract or otherwise.
In response, Coupons.com’s motion to dismiss filed early December 2011 argues that DSS’s trade secrets misappropriation and unfair competition claims must be dismissed as duplicative of the breach of contract for violation of the non-disclosure agreement. Furthermore, Coupons.com does not specifically deny violation of its NDA with DSS or use of the DSS Blockout software in its coupons, but instead asserts that the other claims must be thrown out under New York law. Citing Clark-Fitzpatrick, Inc. v. Long Island Railroad Co., Coupons challenges DSS’s tort claims arising from an alleged breach of contract, because DSS did not plead an independent legal duty extraneous to the contract. In other words, Coupons.com defends that without any further contractual obligation, they are liable only for damages arising under violation of the existing non-disclosure agreement.
Undoubtedly the Western District Court expedited the hearing schedule on this matter lay in anticipation of Coupons.com pending method patent (granted on July 17th) for a “System and Method of Augmenting Content in Electronic Documents with Links to Contextually Relevant Information. ” Such a patent will allow for the digitization of Coupons.com on handheld electronic devices for use by consumers, essentially eliminating the need the printable coupons and their electronic protections (like the DSS Blockout software). However, Coupons.com recent announcement of its new merchant self-service “Brandcaster Retail” coupon e-platform may imply Coupons.com continuing need for digital copy protection technology like the DSS Blockout software . Thus while early settlement was at one time possible, October 2012 mediation sessions failed to amicably settle the relevant and substantive legal issue of whether Coupons.com’s sole breach of their non-disclosure agreement with DSS (by way of unauthorized commercial use the Blockout software) bars subsequent trade secret misappropriation claims under the same cause of action. As such, the case is currently in pre-trial discovery posture as both parties adhere to the discovery schedule outlined by Hon. Marian W. Payson on December 12, 2012.

Groupon, Inc. v. Hanna et al.
October 21, 2011 | Circuit Court of Cook County, Chancery Division
Three employees sued by Groupon for breach of a non-compete agreement counter Groupon's lawsuit is a "sham litigation"

The three employees whom Groupon, Inc. (“Groupon”) sued on October 21, 2011 filed a counterclaim against Groupon on January 25, 2012. The three former employees, Nikki Dorough, Brian Hanna and Michael Nolan, countered that the coupon company pursued a "sham litigation" and requested the Illinois state court to void the noncompete provisions in their Groupon employment contracts.

The employees now work Google Offers, a directly competing discount service started by Google, Inc. (“Google”) after Groupon rejected Google’s buy-out. Groupon alleged in its complaint that the employees, were provided with proprietary and confidential information relating to Groupon’s business practices and strategies, such as Groupon’s price structures and deals with merchants, its timing of the deals and its list of current and potential merchants.

Dorough, Hanna and Nolan began work for Google Offers allegedly in breach of their non-compete agreement with Groupon which bars them from working with a direct competitor for 24 months after leaving the company. Groupon does not claim that Hanna and Nolan already disclosed the above trade secrets to Google or stole any trade secrets, in violation of the Illinois Trade Secrets Act. Rather, it alleges that Hanna and Nolan would inevitably disclose the trade secrets to Google because Google Offers directly competes with Groupon. According to Groupon, the “ongoing and/or threatened” disclosure by Hanna and Nolan would cause the company irreparable harm if the two employees are not enjoined from continuing their activities at Google Offers.

The inevitable disclosure doctrine is preemptively used by a court to prevent disclosure of a trade secret where a former employee’s “new employment will inevitably lead him to rely on [a former employer’s] trade secrets.” PepsiCo, Inc. v. Redmont, 54 F.3d 1262, 1269 (7th Cir. 1995). The doctrine is not universally adopted and even limited in some jurisdictions. See , e.g., EarthWeb, Inc. v. Schlack, 71 F. Supp. 2d 299 (S.D.N.Y. 1999). The doctrine may prevent a former employee from working with a direct competitor even if the employee was never subject to a non-compete agreement and attempts in good faith to prevent using his knowledge of a former employer’s trade secrets. See PepsiCo, 54 F.3d at 1270 (finding that even though no trade secrets were stolen or misappropriated, defendant, PepsiCo, Inc.’s former employee, could not help but rely on Pepsi’s confidential and proprietary information on how to price, distribute and market sports drinks in his work for Quaker Oats Company’s competing GATORADE branded sports drinks).

United States v. Yang
September 28, 2011 | United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Rash of EEA Prosecutions Continues with Indictment of Boeing Engineer Accused of Transmitting Trade Secrets to China

In yet another indictment in the continuing trend of prosecution of trade secret theft under the Economic Espionage Act, the government has indicted Chunlai Yang with two counts of trade secrets theft in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Chicago). The government asserts that Yang stole proprietary source code from his employer, CME Group Inc., in order to start his own futures exchange software company. Yang pled not guilty to both counts.

CME brought the case to the U.S. Attorney with evidence that Yang had downloaded over 1,000 source code files from the secure company computer system to his unsecure work computer. Yang then moved the files to his own personal computer. His apparent intent was to use the source code of CME’s own Globex trading system as the backbone for his own company’s system. His company was to be entitled Tongmei Futures Exchange Software Technology Co.

The potential repercussions for Yang are up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 for each count. In addition, the government seeks to take control over Yang’s computers and other equipment and any proceeds from his actions.

The fact that CME brought the case directly to the U.S. Attorney has been touted by the U.S. Attorney’s office as a good example of corporate and law enforcement cooperation on the protection of trade secrets.

Alternative Productions, Inc. v. Procter & Gamble Company, Inc.
August 23, 2011 | District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Marketing vendor alleges that Procter & Gamble misappropriated its strategic marketing plan

On August 2008, Electronic Arts (“EA”) launched Procter and Gamble’s ("P&G") joined together to promote P&G’s subsidiary Gillette. The strategic alliance is now the subject of a lawsuit filed by Alternative Productions, Inc. (“API”) against P&G in Massachusetts federal court on August 23, 2011.

API alleges that a former P&G marketing consultant, Michael Fuccillo, approached it in June 2007 to discuss a strategic plan for a Nascar promotional campaign for Gillette. API delivered a marketing plan which included the “novel idea of establishing online, console-based gaming tournaments” through a partnership with EA. Fuccillo, however, informed API that Gillete had rejected the plan, which nonetheless became integrated into a larger marketing campaign produced by Gillette’s principal advertising agency.

API asserts that Fuccillo shared its strategic alliance plan with other P&G employees, in breach of his non-disclosure agreement with API. Additionally, it argues that P&G knew or should have known that the alliance plan with EA did not originate with Fuccillo, whose duties at P&G did not include creating marketing ideas.

Defendant's motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction is currently pending before the Court.

Diverse Talent Group Inc. v. Durzi et al.,
August 23, 2011 | County of Los Angeles, Superior Court of the State of California
Clash between Hollywood talent agency and competitor over stolen client information

Hollywood talent agency Diverse Talent Group, Inc. sued three of its former agents who left for a competitor, but not before allegedly stealing confidential information to poach clients. In the suit, filed August 23, 2011 in Los Angeles Superior Court, Diverse alleged misappropriation of trade secrets, intentional interference, breaches of duty and contract, conversion, and slander. The agency also sought a temporary restraining order prohibiting the disclosure or use of proprietary information. According to its website, Diverse represents actors and directors from TV shows like "Mad Men" and "Lost."

The complaint alleges that former Diverse employees Isam Durzi, Ehab Durzi and Wendy Morrison left Diverse to join Function Talent Group (also named as a defendant) and diverted business to their new employer by using confidential client information misappropriated from Diverse and by falsely claiming their former agency was closing. The three supposedly used the confidential materials, such as customer lists and the personal and financial information of clients, to poach those clients for Function. "Defendants have taken the confidential information without the permission of Diverse and have used it for their own financial gain and business purposes," the suit said. "Despite demands to cease and desist from using this information, defendants continue to use the confidential information." Diverse demanded that the files be returned, but the employees refused, according to the complaint.

Diverse claims that the Durzis and Morrison agreed as a condition of their employment that the agency's client list and other customer information were property of the agency. According to the complaint, the three accepted positions at Function earlier this year, but before they started their new jobs, the employees sent letters to Diverse customers soliciting them to take their business to Function. The letters made "false, defamatory and damaging statements," including that Diverse was going out of business, according to the complaint. The complaint goes on to say that they had some success, causing the termination of some of the plaintiff’s client representations.

The complaint also asserts that the employees "hacked into Diverse's computer system and changed the agency's contact information," and sent messages to clients instructing them to contact Ehab Durzi using the newly-diverted number.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, an injunction barring the employees from disclosing Diverse's confidential information and an order compelling them to arbitrate the dispute. According to the complaint, Diverse expects the dispute to be headed to arbitration as a result of employment agreements with the three former agents, but the company says it was forced to seek provisional remedies to deter the diversion of its clients.

The talent agency says on its website that its "highly valued clientele" includes "Academy Award winners, top sitcom actors, one-hour drama directors, editors and producers." The site states that the agency's clients have worked on shows including "The Big Bang Theory" and "Battlestar Galactica" and movies including "Transformers" and "Good Night and Good Luck."

The parties are scheduled to appear before Judge Meiers for a case-management conference on January 10, 2012.

United States v. Liew et al.
August 23, 2011 | United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Federal prosecutors indict a state-owned Chinese company and its executive on charges of conspiracy to steal DuPont’s trade secrets

On February 7, 2012, in a rare action, federal prosecutors indicted Pangang Group Limited Company (“Pangang”), a state-owned steel manufacturer in China, and a Pangang executive on charges of conspiracy to steal DuPont’s trade secrets about titanium dioxide technology in violation of the Economic Espionage Act (EEA), 18 U.S.C. §1831 et seq. This indictment supercedes a 2011 indictment in which federal prosecutors originally charged Californians Walter and Christina Liew with witness tampering and making false statements in a federal criminal investigation into the alleged trade secrets theft. DuPont is the world’s largest manufacturer of chloride-route titanium dioxide, a white pigment used in paint, plastics and paper, and defendants allegedly made a “long-running effort” to obtain DuPont’s trade secrets about the process to benefit Chinese companies. Arraignment is scheduled for March 1, 2012.

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