While most Florida business owners likely want to avoid lawsuits whenever possible, some actions may need to be addressed in court. For instance, if former employees steal confidential information and provide it to rival companies, business litigation may help seek compensation for these violations. Automotive company Tesla is currently involved in this type of ordeal.
According to reports, four individuals who formerly worked for Tesla used their work emails to send proprietary information to their personal email accounts. They then provided that confidential information to their new employer and Tesla rival, Zoox. Zoox is a robo-taxi startup, and Tesla claims that because the former employees provided the company with trade secrets, Zoox was able to reach conclusions regarding logistics, warehousing and inventory control operations years ahead of time.
These actions apparently came to the attention of Tesla after a former employee accidentally sent an email to another former worker’s old company email address. The email contained a document that had been modified with the Zoox logo but that contained Tesla’s proprietary information. The company believes that this shows that the former employees are actively using the stolen information. Tesla has filed suit against those parties, but the four individuals did not provide comment for the report.
While many may see business litigation as a last resort, it can often prove to be the most useful in having a damaging situation addressed. When intellectual property has been unjustly used, Florida business owners will certainly want to do what they can to protect their companies and products while working to ensure that those who have taken the information face repercussions. Consulting with experienced business law attorneys could help with such endeavors.
