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Trade Secret Forum / Trade Secret Misappropriation Question
« on: 08-24-10 at 03:21 pm »
Looking for some opinions on the following situation: I am a former employee of a company that owes me commission payments. I have filed a wage claim and am awaiting our court date to fight for these payments. Upon my leaving the company, one of the documents that I took with me included a list of proposals sent to potential customers along with the dollar values of the proposals. I used this to calculate what was due me. This document was labeled 'company confidential' and I did go to work for a direct competitor after I left, however I used this document for nothing more than to know what my former company owed me and that is absolutely no evidence of misappropriating any of the information for gain at my new company. However one of the defenses that my former company is now using to avoid payment to me is by threatening to file a suit against me for violation of trade secrets. I did not sign any such non disclosure agreement or non compete clause.
Does my former company have a viable claim on this? They knew I had the document and did not request it back (it was just a copy) until they figured they could call a bluff.
Does my former company have a viable claim on this? They knew I had the document and did not request it back (it was just a copy) until they figured they could call a bluff.

