Protect Your Trade Secrets.

If your business has a trade secret and does not want anyone else to use it, then you must take steps to ensure it remains a secret, such as using written confidentiality agreements. 

In Fail-Safe, LLC v. A.O. Smith Corporation, Fail-Safe developed a pump that prevents the suction created by pool drains from trapping swimmers underwater.  A.O. Smith met with Fail-Safe to negotiate the possibility of marketing and selling the pump for Fail-Safe.  During the negotiations, A.O. Smith had access to information regarding the pump, but Fail-Safe never asked A.O. Smith to keep that information confidential.  For example, Fail-Safe never asked A.O. Smith to sign a confidentiality agreement, even though it had done so in the past with other potential marketing partners.  The Court determined that because Fail-Safe did not take reasonable steps to protect its information, that information was not entitled to protection.  Therefore, A.O. Smith was free to use that information to create and sell its own copycat product without having to share any profits with Fail-Safe.

Don’t let this happen to your business.  To speak with one of our business attorneys, call us at (630) 560-1123 or visit us at our website at https://dgllc.net

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is not legal advice and should not be relied on by anyone as legal advice in their particular situation.  Furthermore, while DeBlasio & Gower LLC welcomes communications via its website, please be aware that communicating any information to DeBlasio & Gower LLC or any of its attorneys through its web site or via any other method without a formal engagement with the Firm does not constitute or create an attorney-client relationship between you (or any other users, senders or recipients) and DeBlasio & Gower LLC or any of its attorneys.  For your protection, please do not send us confidential information until you have spoken with one of our lawyers and received authorization to send that information to our Firm.  Thank you.