Apple Rival Rivos Seeks Early End of Trade Secret Misappropriation Case
Defendant Rivos Inc. implored the court overseeing its dispute with Apple Inc. concerning ex-employees’ alleged theft of integrated circuit technology trade secrets to toss the case. Rivos’ moving papers said that Apple’s theory is wholly unsupported by the complaint which it said was “bereft of any allegations that Rivos actually acquired, used, or disclosed any of Apple’s trade secrets.”
The suit dates to April when Apple said that a recent exodus of system-on-chip (SoC) engineers to Rivos raised red flags due to the apparent information some of the more than 40 former Apple workers took with them. Apple explained that it has dedicated billions in funds and years to SoC research and development efforts, making its technology very valuable.
Pfizer says Former Employee Stole Trade Secrets on Megablockbuster COVID-19 Vaccine
Pfizer and other drugmakers go to great lengths to protect their proprietary information. When it comes to the world’s best-selling pharmaceutical product, the company’s BioNTech-partnered COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer’s defense of trade secrets carries even more weight.
That’s why the company is working to get a handle on information allegedly stolen by a “soon-to-be former employee.” In a new lawsuit filed in California, published by Bloomberg, Pfizer says an employee, Chun Xaio Li, uploaded more than 12,000 files, including “confidential Pfizer documents,” to a personal Google Drive account and to personal devices.
GSK Launches Trade Secrets Case Against Former Employee, Ordering Data and Property to be Returned ‘in One Piece’
In Maryland’s federal court last week, GSK accused former employee Denise Brooks of trade secrets theft. The company says that on Jan. 13, the defendant “abruptly” resigned from her job as a GSK quality systems lead, a position that gave her “wide-ranging access” to proprietary company data, confidential methods and highly-sensitive trade secrets.
On the same day as her resignation, Brooks used her GSK credentials to enter GSK’s facility in Rockville, Maryland, where she swapped out her older GSK-issued laptop for a brand-new company computer, the company said. During the process, Brooks had the company’s IT personnel copy a “wealth” of trade secrets and confidential information from her old laptop to the new one. The IT workers weren’t aware of Brooks’ resignation, GSK argued.
Osstem Implant Sues Ex-Employee, Family in Embezzlement Scandal
Dental implant maker Osstem Implant Co. has launched a compensation suit against its former employee accused of embezzling company funds worth 221.5 billion won (US$171 million) and his family, sources said Monday.
Osstem Implant sued the former employee in charge of managing corporate funds, only identified by his surname Lee, and his wife, sister, sister-in-law and her husband, demanding compensation worth 1 billion won, they said.
Plaintiffs Remove Restaurant Trade Secrets Case to Federal Court, Arguing the Case Raises Question of Federal Copyright Law
According to the original complaint, plaintiff Soberon Investments is a Texas limited liability company doing business as La Costa Grill, and plaintiff Restaurant Mariscos La Costa, LLC is a Texas limited liability company, and both plaintiffs are sister corporations that operate in the restaurant business. Further, the complaint states that the defendants Luis Silva, Ernest Lozano and Don Marisco Restaurant, LLC conduct business as Don Marisco Restaurant and operate in the restaurant industry.
The complaint alleges that, in 2010, the plaintiffs La Costa hired Silva as kitchen manager for Mariscos La Costa in San Juan, Texas and in 2015 later hired Silva as kitchen manager for La Costa’s La Costa Grill location in McAllen, Texas. The complaint purports that Silva signed and executed a confidentiality agreement in which he agreed to hold and protect La Costa’s trade secrets in consideration of his employment.
Certrec Files Lawsuit in Federal Court Against Former Employee JC Culberson
The lawsuit alleges that prior to Mr. Culberson’s departure to his new employer, Electric Power Engineers, LLC, Mr. Culberson breached his fiduciary duties by improperly soliciting Certrec employees to depart with him to a competitor while he was still employed by Certrec. The lawsuit also alleges additional claims including misappropriating Certrec’s trade secrets related to its regulatory compliance services, and breaching his employee confidentiality agreements with Certrec.
