Aviation Contractor Glides Away From Liability After Receiving Unsolicited Email Containing Trade Secrets

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If a third party sends you someone’s trade secrets, and you delete them as soon as you know they’re trade secrets, you’re off the hook for misappropriation.

That, in a nutshell, is what a Florida federal judge held on January 14, when he dismissed Dyncorp International LLC’s allegations that rival contractor AAR Airlift Group, Inc. stole trade secrets to gain an unfair advantage in securing a multibillion-dollar government contract. The contract, which Dyncorp had performed for more than 20 years, was to provide aviation support to the U.S. State Department for its counter-narcotics operations. READ MORE →

LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD: Need to Balance Trade Secret Protection and Judicial Transparency Remains Ten Years After Federal Court Reprimanded for Issuing Secret Opinion

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Ringing in the New Year provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future. This mirrors the day-to-day reality for legal practitioners: the future is shaped by precedent from the past. And in these early days of 2016, with the possibility of a federal trade secrets law looming in the proposed Defend Trade Secrets Act, it’s important to understand the tensions and limits surrounding trade secret law. READ MORE →

In China: Is Your Business Information Qualified for Protection in Trade Secrets Litigation?

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Recently, China and the U.S. have reached some meaningful commitments on minimizing trade secrets misappropriation and protecting intellectual property during their Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.The commitments represent a step forward for trade secrets protection between the U.S. and China. Many U.S. companies, however, still complain that they are burdened by intricate laws and litigation regarding trade secret misappropriation in China. Here’s a primer on Chinese trade secrets law, which is often jurisdiction-specific. READ MORE →

Trade Secrets Unwrapped: Packaging Materials Case Demonstrates The Importance Of Keeping Confidential Information Sealed Shut

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There are many ways to gain trade secret protection, but also many ways to lose it. As the recent motion to dismiss ruling in Fleetwood Packaging v. Hein from the Northern District of Illinois illustrates, how a company vacuum packs its confidential information can make all the difference between preserving it and watching it get spoiled by a competitor. READ MORE →

June 29, 2015 Amendments to Article 183 of the Russian Criminal Code: Increased Liability for Disclosure of Trade Secrets in Russia

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While Russia has long protected trade secrets through the Federal Law on Information, Information Technologies and Information Protection and the Trade Secret Law, amendments to the Russian Criminal Code on June 29, 2015 now substantially increase liability for disclosure of trade secrets. Illegal disclosure of trade secrets may now result in more serious consequences, including increased fines equal to as much as three years’ wages for disclosure. READ MORE →

One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Trade Secret? Idaho Supreme Court Rules Against Appellant Waste Disposal Company In Bid to Protect Contract Proposal As Trade Secret

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In a case more notable for the fact that it reached Idaho’s Supreme Court than the final decision, the lower court’s dismissal of the plaintiff waste disposal company’s misappropriation of trade secrets claim was affirmed.

In July of 2012, the defendant County of Idaho (“the County”) solicited proposals for a contract to provide waste disposal services to part of the county that was being served by the plaintiff Walco, Inc. (“Walco”). Both Walco and the other defendant, Simmons Sanitation Service, Inc. (“Simmons”), submitted envelopes containing their respective proposals. READ MORE →

Think Before You Tack CFAA Claims on to Your Trade Secret Misappropriation Case

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Before you include a Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) claim in a trade secret case, consider carefully: was the data acquired through “unauthorized access” or was it just misused by the defendants? If it was properly accessed (but later misused), your CFAA claim, and the federal question jurisdiction that comes with it, is in jeopardy. In SunPower Corp. v. SunEdison, Inc., Judge Orrick of the Northern District of California recently dismissed the plaintiff’s CFAA claim because the plaintiff failed to allege that the data was accessed without authorization, only that it was later misused.  Because the CFAA claim provided the basis for federal jurisdiction, Judge Orrick indicated that he would dismiss the entire case and not exercise pendent jurisdiction over the remaining thirteen state claims if the CFAA claim could not be properly amended. READ MORE →

Orrick Launches New Cybersecurity Blog

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We’re excited to announce Orrick’s new sister blog, Trust Anchor!

Trust Anchor highlights current topics in cybersecurity and data privacy, such as recent cases, legislative and regulatory developments, emerging standards, risk management strategies, and insurance coverage.  It’s not just news.  Instead, it aims to review new developments and offer actionable privacy and cybersecurity intel and strategies. READ MORE →

Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2015 Faces Criticism 2.0

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On August 28, 2015, TSW continued its coverage of the 2015 Defend Trade Secrets Act (“2015 DTSA”), introduced in both the House and Senate on July 28, 2015, with its comparison of the 2015 DTSA to last year’s failed 2014 House Bill. In today’s post, TSW continues with its extensive coverage of the 2015 DTSA, detailing both the criticisms it is facing and the progress it has made in Congress. READ MORE →