Trade Secrets: Today's Roundup of Litigation

No claims made that these stories represent all of the new trade secrets litigation but these are the ones caught by Google Alerts.

IOSTAR entangled on earth:

IOSTAR and its founder and CEO have filed suit against the three former associates, alleging theft of corporate secrets in order to develop competing satellites. In a counterclaim, the three allege that the CEO has misappropriated millions of dollars and violated tax and securities law.

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In its lawsuit, IOSTAR charges that Stuart, French and Busch "have systemically misappropriated IOSTAR's trade secrets."
They did so, the suit alleges, in order to develop a space tug that would compete with one being fashioned by a company called SWANsat, in a project in which IOSTAR is participating.
"We think the claims against Mr. French are groundless," said Sam Straight, French's Salt Lake City attorney.
Stuart and Busch declined comment about their dealings with D'Ausilio, but in their answers to the lawsuit they deny appropriating any trade secrets from their involvement with IOSTAR.

The articles goes on at greater length about the start up problems and possible chicanery. That makes it worth reading for more than the trade secrets.

Former Lubrizol Employee Charged:

A former research and development employee at specialty chemicals company Lubrizol Corp. is accused of selling trade secrets to a competitor in South Korea, federal officials said.

Kyung Kim, 62, of Broadview Heights, was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court with theft of trade secrets and conspiracy, said assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roberts. No court date has been set.

For something quite a bit different and foreign: GM brinjal battle goes to HC.

NEW DELHI: It's a classic case of commercial interest vs public interest which could set an important precedent. Genetically modified brinjal — expected to be the country's first edible GM crop — could find its way to your plate soon.

But first, Delhi high court will have to decide whether the company conducting its field trials can keep data on health and environment safety tests out of the public domain on the grounds that the information is a "trade secret".

The data in question comprises toxicity and allergenicity studies and was submitted by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co Ltd (Mahyco), a subsidiary of multinational Monsanto, to the department of biotechnology for regulatory clearances.

Another article having more than interest than only trade secrets. I suspect that in the United States we would see patent issues as well as trade secrets.

Tire maker wins trade secret case:

"Sam Vance, Alpha's sales and marketing manager at the time, was found guilty by 12th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Robert W. McDonald Jr. of giving a pair of overseas competitors everything they needed to steal business away from the Sarasota company."

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Jennifer Compton, an attorney with the Sarasota law firm Abel Band who worked on behalf of Alpha, said the win in the trade secret case was huge for her client.

"This is one of the larger ones in Sarasota County history," Compton said. "This is a very big deal for them. They were almost out of business."

Whether Vance has the wherewithal to pay the $19.7 million remains to be seen.

Ah, the age old question: can the judgment be collected?