A news publisher’s bid to wrest control of a Twitter account from a former reporter may clarify whether social media accounts can be legally protected trade secrets.
BH Media Group Inc., owner of the Roanoke Times, has sued former employee Andy Bitter in federal court. BH Media says Bitter refused to give up the Twitter handle @AndyBitterVT, which has more than 27,000 followers, after moving to a competitor. The publisher is arguing that the account is a trade secret.
A court decision could help companies trying to make a case that social media accounts deserve trade secret protection, attorneys told ...