For startup companies in Florida and elsewhere, entering a business relationship with a major corporation can be an exciting prospect. Prior to sharing trade secrets with a larger entity, smaller businesses may find it beneficial to protect their business interests and prevent trade secret disputes by ensuring a contract is signed. A wireless power company named NuCurrent has recently filed a lawsuit against Samsung, accusing the company of stealing proprietary wireless phone charging technology and using it in certain products.

According to the lawsuit, Samsung became interested in this technology in 2015 and requested that NuCurrent put together a presentation. The company states that it not only provided Samsung with a detailed overview of the product, but also provided two samples for testing purposes. NuCurrent states that it also allowed engineers from Samsung to have access to these samples and their designs.

After exchanging information for several months, NuCurrent came to believe the other company was less interested in forming a business relationship, and more interested in obtaining the technology for its own purposes. The lawsuit asserts that Samsung sought to obtain this technology through misrepresentation of intentions. NuCurrent also claims that the other company has already implemented this technology in certain products without receiving authorization.

Should a company believe that another party has misused or stolen proprietary information, it may wish to pursue restitution. Since this can be a complex process, business owners could choose to retain the services of an attorney with experience in trade secret disputes. An attorney can examine the circumstances a client in Florida is facing and provide guidance on the best course of action with which to proceed.

Source: bgr.com, “Lawsuit alleges Samsung met with a startup and then stole its wireless charging tech“, Yoni Heisler, March 14, 2018