Here are the noteworthy trade secret, non-compete and cybersecurity stories from the past week, as well as one or two that I missed over the past couple of weeks: Trade Secret and Non-Compete Cases. Posts and Articles:
  • “Seagate Technology Recoups $630 Million Trade-Secrets Award” reports Business Week.  A Minnesota state appeals court has ruled that an arbitrator didn’t exceed his authority in awarding Seagate $525 million (and an additional $105 million in interest) in its trade secret dispute with Western Digital and a former Seagate employee. The arbitrator had found that some of the defendants’ evidence was fabricated regarding three of the trade secrets at issue and entered judgment against Western and the employee, Sining Mao, as a sanction.
  • “Even Preparing To Compete In Texas May Be Prohibited During A Non-Competition Covenant Period” advises Paul Freehling for Seyfarth Shaw’s Trading Secrets Blog.  Rob Radcliff also has a post on this decision, “Anti-Planning Provisions – A New Non-Compete Weapon?” in his Smooth Transitions Blog.
  • And speaking of Texas, “Physician Noncompetition Agreements May Be Challenged More Often After Recent Texas Appellate Decision” warns Randy Bruchmiller for Seyfarth Shaw’s Trading Secrets Blog.
  • “Five Year Non-Compete Enforced In Indiana” reports Peter Steinmeyer for Epstein Becker’s Trade Secrets & Noncompete Blog.
  • For the latest on non-compete legislation in Massachusetts, see “Massachusetts Noncompete Bill – Hearing Date” by Russell Beck in his Fair Competition Law Blog.  Seyfarth Shaw’s Erik Weibust also has a post on the legislation.
  • The Southern District of New York has recently held “Marketing Concepts Are Not Trade Secrets” advises Eric Ostroff in his Trade Secrets Protection Blog.
  • In “Don’t Chase Your Tail in Pursuit of the “Perfect Non-Compete,” Michael Greco offers some sound and practical advice in Fisher & Phillips’ Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Blog.
  • “The Line Between Trade Secrets and Patents: Getting Dual IP Coverage on the Same Technology” recommends Matthew Poppe and Morvarid Metanat for Orrick’s Trade Secrets Watch Blog.
  • “Myriad’s Trade Secret Trump Card: The Myriad Database of Genetic Variants” reports Courtenay Brinckerhoff of Foley & Lardner for JDSupra Law News.
  • “The next controversy in genetic testing: clinical data as trade secrets?” ask Robert Cook-Deegan, John M. Conley, James P Evans and Daniel Vorhaus for The European Journal of Human Genetics.
  • “The Business End Of The ‘Snowden Lessons'” reports Anne Sutton of Dentons and Erik Laykin of Duff & Phelps Corp. for Law360.
  • “More Answers To Your Noncompete Questions” provides Donna Ballman for her Screw You Guys, I am Going Home Blog.
  • “Texas Public Information Act: Shielding Your Company from the Open Records Sword” advises Jack Skaggs of Jackson Walker for JDSupra Law News.
  • In “Trade Secrets Whistleblower SLAPPed In Effort to Dismiss Lawsuit,” Ken Vanko reports on the recent dismissal of a whistleblower claim brought against Anhueser-Busch in his Legal Developments in Non-Competition Agreements Blog.  For more on this case, see my post from the spring.
Cybersecurity Posts and Articles:
  • Looking to limit others from digitally eavesdropping you?  Then check out “Digital Tools to Curb Snooping” by Somni Semgupta for The New York Times Bigs Blog.
  • “U.S. Cybersecurity Plan Not Designed To Increase Regulation, Officials Say” claims Bloomberg BNA.
  • “How America Is Fighting Back Against Chinese Hackers” advises Adam Clark Estes for Gizomodo.
Computer Fraud & Abuse Act Posts and Articles:
  • “MIT Intervenes In Release Of Aaron Swartz Case Details” reports Gerry Smith for The Huffington Post.