Defenses to a Misappropriation Lawsuit You will need to use your own files and records to prove that you completed development before any dates on which the alleged misappropriation occurred. Related, but less strong, is a defense of reverse engineering.
Elements of a Trade Secret Claim The plaintiff made reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy. The information isn't generally known. The defendant acquired the trade secret through improper means. The defendant has used that trade secret.
This doctrine holds that a third party is liable when the third party acquires a trade secret from another and then discloses or uses the secret under circumstances where he knows or should have known that the trade secret was wrongfully acquired.
The plaintiff in a trade-secret case lawsuit must prove three facts: (1) it has some valuable business information that it has kept secret; (2) the information is not generally known; and (3) the defendant has used that secret. A defendant may attack each showing, but some attacks are better than others.
A prima facie claim for misappropriation of trade secrets requires the plaintiff to demonstrate: (1) the plaintiff owned a trade secret; (2) the defendant acquired, disclosed, or used the plaintiff's trade secret through improper means; and (3) the defendant's actions damaged the plaintiff. (Cal. Civ.
Statute of Limitations for Trade Secrets In California, a party has three years to bring a theft of a trade secret claim. The three year period starts when the misappropriation is discovered or if the exercise of reasonable diligence should have been discovered.
Final answer: The measure of damages for misappropriation of a trade secret can vary and might be based on the lost revenues of the owner, punitive damages ten times the loss, treble damages three times the loss, or the profits earned by the party that misappropriated the trade secret.
One way of showing misappropriation is by showing that an acquirer knew or had reason to know that the trade secret was acquired by improper means but the trade secret is acquired or retained. Disclosure or Use of Trade Secret as Misuse.
Under TUTSA and DTSA, a plaintiff who successfully proves trade secret misappropriation can obtain several types of remedies, including injunctive relief, monetary damages, and, in certain cases, punitive damages.