Trade Secrets
Ongoing coverage on Trade Secrets.
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Rockstar and fired GTA developers outline core arguments during union busting tribunal
Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive are facing accusations of union busting in an ongoing employment tribunal in Glasgow, UK. The fired workers allege their dismissals were retaliation for union activity, while Rockstar claims the 34 employees were terminated for gross misconduct and leaking confidential information, including details about Grand Theft Auto VI. The company emphasizes the need for strict confidentiality to protect trade secrets, comparing them to Coca-Cola's formula.
Apple adds more allegations to its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI
Apple has added new allegations to its trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI. The company claims a former employee accessed and used proprietary files for OpenAI, suggesting a breach of trade secrets.
Apple tells court 11 additional former staff may be tied to OpenAI trade-secret leak
Apple has informed a court that 11 additional former employees may be involved in the alleged leaking of trade secrets to OpenAI, expanding the case beyond the two engineers initially accused. The company is seeking an injunction to halt OpenAI's development of products suspected to be built on Apple's proprietary technology and is pushing for expedited discovery.
Morning Legal Briefs
Apple is pursuing a preliminary injunction against OpenAI in a trade secrets case. Separately, Apple has issued a new challenge against a UK order that would grant access to private user data.
Apple claims that even more ex-employees may have given trade secrets to OpenAI
Apple is seeking expedited discovery in its lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that former Apple employees may have shared trade secrets with the AI company. The tech giant is pursuing legal action over potential intellectual property theft.
OpenAI calls Apple preliminary injunction 'careless, aggressive & oddly personal'
OpenAI has publicly criticized Apple's preliminary injunction filing, calling it 'careless, aggressive, and oddly personal.' The dispute centers on allegations that two former Apple employees who joined OpenAI improperly shared trade secrets. OpenAI denies these claims, stating that evidence is lacking and that Apple's system access management is at fault.
OpenAI calls out Apple's 'careless, aggressive and oddly personal lawsuit' in latest blog post
OpenAI has publicly responded to Apple's lawsuit, calling it "careless, aggressive and oddly personal" and arguing it is based on false information. OpenAI claims Apple lawyers mixed up names and incorrectly stated they spoke with OpenAI's General Counsel. The company also defended former Apple employees Chang Liu and Tang Tan, who are now working for OpenAI, stating they have not used any confidential information from Apple.
OpenAI says Apple 'is getting this wrong' after trade secret lawsuit
OpenAI has responded to Apple's lawsuit alleging trade secret theft. Apple sued OpenAI and two former employees, claiming they stole proprietary information. OpenAI has published its official response to these allegations.
Ex-TSMC manager first to be indicted under National Security Act for allegedly attempting to leak core Taiwanese…
Taiwanese prosecutors have indicted a former TSMC manager for allegedly attempting to steal trade secrets and establish a semiconductor company in China. This case is the first prosecution under the National Security Act for an alleged attempt to leak national core technologies. While the attempt to transfer technology was unsuccessful, the former manager copied confidential documents and could face up to seven years in prison.
Apple (AAPL) sues OpenAI over stolen trade secrets related to hardware and security
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that the company, led by former Apple designer Tang Tan, stole trade secrets to develop AI hardware products. The lawsuit also names Jony Ive, founder of io Products acquired by OpenAI, though he is not a defendant. This legal action comes as OpenAI prepares for an IPO and follows a 2024 partnership between Apple and OpenAI for AI features in Apple products.
Apple calls OpenAI's hardware business 'rotten to its core' in trade secret theft lawsuit
Apple has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the artificial intelligence company of stealing trade secrets. The lawsuit also names io Products, a hardware company led by Jony Ive, as a defendant. Apple alleges that OpenAI used its proprietary information to develop its AI models.
Dungeon crawler Dark and Darker wins partial legal battle over Nexon, allowed to stay online
Dungeon crawler Dark and Darker has won a partial legal victory against Nexon, with the Korean supreme court ruling there was no copyright infringement related to Nexon's Project P3. This decision allows Dark and Darker to remain online and continue development, though its developer Ironmace still faces a continuing criminal case over alleged data transmission. While Ironmace had to pay for trade secret violations, the court's ruling provides legal certainty for the game's future.
South Korean Supreme Court orders Dark and Darker dev Ironmace to pay $3.84 million to Nexon
South Korean developer Ironmace has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay Nexon 5.7 billion won ($3.84 million) in damages related to a civil case concerning alleged trade secret theft. While the civil case has concluded, a related criminal case regarding copyright and stolen trade secrets remains ongoing. The dispute stems from allegations that Ironmace's founding members, former Nexon employees, used proprietary information to develop the popular extraction game Dark and Darker.
After shaking off Nexon’s copyright infringement accusations, Dark and Darker survives the Korean legal system and will continue development
The Supreme Court of South Korea has rejected Nexon's copyright infringement allegations against Ironmace, allowing Dark and Darker to continue development. While Ironmace was ordered to pay 5.7 billion Korean Won for trade secret violations, this was a reduction from a previous ruling, and they received a partial refund. A criminal case between the two parties is still ongoing.
Dark And Darker Can "Move Ahead With Full Legal Certainty" After Court Ruling
Developer Ironmace can proceed with Dark and Darker development with legal certainty following a South Korean Supreme Court ruling that upheld a lower court's decision in a copyright dispute with Nexon. While the court found Ironmace infringed on trade secrets, it was not guilty of copyright infringement, and the developer's appeals were dismissed. This ruling ends the legal battle, allowing the game to continue its online service without threat of suspension.
A judge has granted Ashes of Creation’s Steven Sharif a TRO against Intrepid’s board
A judge has granted Ashes of Creation's Steven Sharif a temporary restraining order against Intrepid's board of directors, led by Rob Dawson, and TFE Games Holdings LLC. The order prevents the defendants from accessing or distributing Intrepid's trade secrets, finding sufficient reason to believe Sharif will prevail in his claims of an improper takeover and misappropriation of assets. The court found that Intrepid has already suffered harm and will continue to do so if the TRO is not granted.
Epic Games is suing one of its former contract workers, alleging that he is notorious Fortnite leaker AdiraFN
Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against former contractor Hayden Cohen, also known as the notorious Fortnite leaker AdiraFN. Cohen is accused of repeatedly leaking confidential intellectual property and trade secrets, including unannounced collaborations and content releases, while under a non-disclosure agreement. Epic Games is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent further leaks.
Fortnite leaker actually worked for Epic Games, according to new lawsuit
Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against former contractor Hayden Cohen, who allegedly leaked confidential and unannounced Fortnite content. Cohen, who worked as an associate producer, is accused of violating a non-disclosure agreement by sharing details about upcoming collaborations on social media. Epic Games is seeking damages for trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract.
