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:
  • There has been an uptick in media coverage and criticism of non-competes this week, which dovetails with the growing legislative efforts in several states to limit or restrict the use of non-competes.  “More firms requiring non-compete agreements: Efforts to retain employees being tested in courts, statehouses,” reports Jonnelle Mart for The Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch. Likewise, The Los Angeles Times has chimed in, “Contracts, court rulings giving employers legal upper hand: Emboldened by Supreme Court decisions and a weak job market, employers are starting to require workers to sign away their rights in return for a job.”
  • “Legally Smited Eaton Asks Supreme Court of Mississippi to Reinstate Civil Trade Secret Theft Case Against Five Former Employees,” reports Todd Sullivan in his Sullivan’s Trade Secrets and Employee Defections Blog.
  • Texas “Appeals Court OKs Extension Of Insurer’s Noncompete Deal,” advises Law360.
  • “Can Confidential Info That’s Not a Trade Secret Be Misappropriated?” asks Eric Ostroff in his Protecting Trade Secrets Blog as he discusses a recent case out of Arizona.
  • Jon Cavicchi is ramping his Trade Secrets Vault Blog back up. Check out his many new posts, including his re-posting of some valuable advice on “Implementing a Trade Secret Audit.”
  • “Is An Assigned Non-Compete Agreement Enforceable?” asks Monika Vyas Scott for Burr & Forman’s Non-Compete Trade Secrets Law Blog and she summarizes the law in states throughout the Southeast.
  • For those looking for more on the Illinois Appellate Court’s recent decision that an employee must be employed at least two years for a non-compete to be enforceable, Kenneth Vanko is not quite yet done venting about the reasoning in Fifield v. Premier Dealer Services.
  • “Scientist pleads guilty in Pa. trade secrets case” reports Associated Press. Tung Pham, who was charged with stealing trade secrets from his employer to take to a competitor in China, pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia to seven counts of wire fraud, prosecutors said last week.
  • “Medtech inventor claims Ethicon lawyer tricked him into divulging trade secrets” advises the Massachusetts Medical Device Journal. Todd Sullivan also provides his take on the case here.
  • For tips on dealing with whistleblowers and trade secrets, check out Robert Milligan’s post “An Employee Is Stealing Company Documents…That Can’t Be Protected Activity, Right?” for Seyfarth Shaw’s Trading Secrets Blog.
  • “When An Employee Goes ‘Snowden:’ State High Court To Decide If An Employer Can Be Liable For A Rogue Employee’s Disclosure of Confidential Information,” reports Joe Wilson for Kelley Drye’s DC Metropolitan Business Law Alert.
  • “iPads and Blackberries: The Hidden Dangers for Employers,” warns Amy Dehnel for Berman Fink Van Horn’s Georgia Non-Compete & Trade Secrets Reporter.
  • For a primer on “Health Care Non-Compete Agreements,” in Tennessee, check out Cole Dowsley’s post for Thompson Burton’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Blog.
Cybersecurity Posts and Articles:
  • “NIST Releases Draft Outline of Cybersecurity Framework for Critical Infrastructure,” notes the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Tech Beat.
  • For two completely different takes on recent testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Oversight Subcommittee yesterday, compare “China Bears Burden Of Stopping IP Theft, Panel Hears,” from Law360 with “U.S. Defenses ‘Feeble’ against Chinese Cyber Threat, Experts Testify,” from Main Justice.
  • “Report Details Data Breaches in California,” advises Cheryl Miller for Corporate Counsel.
  • “US, China kick off annual dialogue with talks on cybersecurity,” reports The Washington Post.
  • “You Aren’t Using These 10 Simple Security Settings,” laments Jess Fee for Mashable.