United Microelectronics Corporation, Inc. (“UMC”), a Taiwanese semiconductor foundry and the world’s fourth largest contract chipmaker, pleaded guilty on October 28, 2020, to criminal trade secret theft, will pay a $60 million fine – the second largest ever in a criminal trade secrets case – and will cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of its co-defendant, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
Continue Reading Taiwanese Semiconductor Pleads Guilty, To Pay $60 Million Fine for Criminal Trade Secret Theft
Improving Trade Secret Identification Procedures: Sedona Conference Publishes Proposals for Comment
One of the more challenging questions in many complex trade secret cases is: When should a plaintiff be required to identify its alleged trade secrets, and with what level of specificity? This question is not answered by the Defend Trade Secrets Act or (in most instances) state trade secret statutes, and case law on this
GEICO Earns Victory at Intersection Between Copyright and Trade Secret Law Covering Source Code
A recent decision by the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York reinforces that owners of trade secret computer programs should carefully approach copyright registration in order to maintain both copyright and trade secret protection. This includes being conscious of copyright regulations allowing the partial and redacted registration of computer code with the Copyright Office.
In a recent manifestation of this principle, Capricorn Management Systems accused GEICO of misappropriating Capricorn’s trade secret source code for medical billing software. Last week, the court granted GEICO’s motion for summary judgment, holding that the code was not entitled to trade secret protection, in part because it was registered, unredacted, with the U.S. Copyright Office, and was therefore publicly available.
Continue Reading GEICO Earns Victory at Intersection Between Copyright and Trade Secret Law Covering Source Code
Patent v. Trade Secret: Uncovering New Insights
The dichotomy between patent and trade secret cases is as old as time. But, Lex Machina’s newest platform – trade secrets – reveals some interesting new insights on key differences between patent and trade secret cases that will matter to plaintiffs and defendants alike. In trade secrets cases, 71% of cases that resolve at trial
The Sedona Conference Launches Working Group 12 on Trade Secret Law
Please click here to learn more about the efforts of the Sedona Conference’s recently launched Working Group 12 on Trade Secret Law.
AIPLA Annual Trade Secret Law Summit – March 2018 – Register here
Please register to AIPLA’s Annual Trade Secret Law Summit, taking place in San Diego, CA from March 1 – 2, 2018, by clicking here.
Survey Shows In-House Concern Over Trade Secrets Is Increasing
Please click here to access Law360’s survey.
Trump Administration’s Focus on IP Webinar
The America Invents Act, the Defend Trade Secrets Act, and recent Court decisions demonstrate the ongoing changes affecting intellectual property. The new Trump administration is expected to continue this trend from the legislative perspective, and is expected that Congress will consider further legislation that may rival the size of the America Invents Act. At the
4 Key Takeaways: What the New Federal Trade Secrets Law Means for Your Clients (June 15 Webinar)
On June 15, Crowell & Moring hosted a trade secrets webinar, “What the New Federal Trade Secrets Law Means for Your Clients.” The panelists, Mark Klapow, Mark Romeo, Mike Songer, and Vince Galluzzo provided an overview Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), signed by President Obama in May. The panelists also discussed how the courts are
DTSA Update: Alphabet and Google Accused of Misappropriation of Trade Secrets Under The DTSA
In the highest-profile case filed to date under the recently enacted Defend Trade Secrets Act, Space Data has accused Alphabet and Google of misappropriation of trade secrets in the launch of their balloon-based wireless network code named Project Loon, in a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Space