Accounting Wilhelm discovers that a tech company has just received a patent for a new type of headphone that reduces the potential for hearing damage at high volume. The existence of this new technology is not yet widely known. However, once Wilhelm learns about it, he tells several of his friends, and they all buy stock in the tech company. Does Wilhelm’s conduct violate trade secret law?
A. No, because the company is not yet deriving value from the technology.
B. No, because the invention of this technology is publicly available information through the issuance of the patent.
C. Yes, because Wilhelm misappropriated the tech company’s trust by telling his friends about the new technology.
D. Yes, because Wilhelm will potentially profit from his discovery.
