Google’s Win Over Architect’s Trade Secret Claims Affirmed

Architect Eli Attia’s allegations that Google LLC misused his trade secrets were correctly dismissed, because the information was no longer secret after Google used it in publicly available patent applications, the Ninth Circuit said Wednesday.

Attia worked with Google to develop “Engineered Architecture” technology. Google used Attia’s trade secrets in patent applications published in 2012, and then allegedly froze him out and used the technology to create a new project, which later became Flux Factory Inc.

Attia brought state trade secret claims against Google in 2014, and added federal trade secret and racketeering claims after Congress enacted the Defend Trade ...