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Protection du savoir-faire en droit US
Presented to APRAM - MEDEF
by Randy Kay of Jones Day
June 26, 2012
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Trade Secrets
• Company crown jewels
• Stealth IP
• Large civil verdicts
• Criminal exposure
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Mattel Loses $310M US to Bratz
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US Trade Secret Protection
• Information
• Has independent economic value
• Not generally known
– To the public
– To others who can obtain economic value from
its disclosure or use
• Kept secret
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Trade Secrets – What Are They?
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Formula
Pattern
Compilation
Program
Device
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Method
Technique
Process
Customer List
Know how
Where Does One Find a Trade Secret?
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Flash drives
R&D
Lab notebooks
Computer files
Databases
Drawings
Whiteboards
Email
In employees’ heads
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Independent Economic Value
• Economic
• Does the information aid in directing efforts?
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Not Generally Known
• Is information public?
• Do competitors have the information?
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Secrecy
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Confidentiality agreements
Security
Limited access
Need to know
Shred
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Failure of Secrecy
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Website
Published patent applications
Technical literature
Product releases
Trade shows
Press releases
Journal articles
Garbage
Government filings
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Misappropriation
• Improper acquisition, disclosure or use
• Actual
• Threatened
• Circumstantial evidence
• Experts
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Defenses to Civil Claims
• No protectable information
• Independent development
• Federal law preemption
• Employee protections
• Statute of limitations
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Remedies in Civil Case
• Damages
• Exemplary damages
• Injunction
• Attorneys’ fees
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Trade Secret Civil Damages
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Actual losses
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Unjust enrichment
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Reasonable royalty
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Exemplary damages
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Criminal Penalties
• Fines
• $250,000 US - individual
• $5 million US - corporation
• $15 million US – if for the benefit of foreign government
• Federal imprisonment
• 10 years
• 15 years – if for the benefit of foreign government
• Property forfeiture
Other US IP Laws
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Patent
Unfair competition
Ideas
Confidential information
Trademark
Copyright
International Implications
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International Trade Commission
Federal courts
State courts
Broad discovery
• Computer systems
• Communications
Protection du savoir-faire en droit US
Questions?
Randy Kay
June 26, 2012
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