The importance of trade secrets continues to be front and center in high-profile legal disputes.
In a 2019 Bloomberg Law Big Law Business Quick Pulse Survey, approximately 33% of companies surveyed said that they had trade secrets stolen in the last 10 years, and 75% of the surveyed companies expected the risk of trade secret theft to rise in the next five years.
The Waymo-Uber trade secret dispute is case in point. While civil litigation was settled last year, the story is alive again with the indictment by a federal grand jury of Anthony Levandowski on allegations of trade secret theft.
When it comes to trade secrets, companies should understand that the federal government is increasingly pursuing criminal prosecution.
Understanding the risks and complications of both civil litigation and criminal prosecution can help companies as they seek to protect their own trade secrets.
