Federal Court Rejects Employer’s Trade Secret and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Claims

An ex-employee’s former employer sued him for alleged violations of the Kansas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (KUTSA) and the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).  The first claim was based on the company’s hunch that he had misappropriated trade secrets and thereby breached his non-disclosure agreement.  Two forensic experts were paid $38,000 to examine the computers and flash drives he had used, looking for evidence that he had used or disclosed confidential information.  The second claim centered on his admission that, shortly before resigning from the company, he had read a top-secret file which was, but should not have been, accessible to employees.  He moved for summary judgment on both claims.  The court granted the motion, holding that (a) payments to the experts did not satisfy the KUTSA requirement of showing an “actual loss caused by misappropriation” (K.S.A. 60-3322(a)), and (b) he was authorized to access the company’s shared files and, therefore, he did not violate the CFAA. Tank Connection, LLC v. Haight, No. 6:13-cv-01392-JTM (D. Kan., Feb. 5, 2016) (Marten, C.J.).

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