Leo Silfen, Inc. v. Cream
Court of Appeals of New York
278 N.E.2d 636 (1972)
Relevant factsFree
Cream (defendant) built up an industrial-supply customer base over nearly 20 years working for Silfen (plaintiff), which maintained detailed, confidentiality-protected customer profiles; after Silfen fired Cream, he started his own company and solicited 47 of Silfen's roughly 1,100 listed customers, all well-known companies openly engaged in the industrial-supply business. Silfen sued for trade-secret misappropriation, and the trial court found the customer list protectable and enjoined Cream from doing business with those customers.
IssueFree
Whether a customer list of readily ascertainable prospects is a protectable trade secret.
Related cases
Religious Technology Center v. Wollersheim796 F.2d 1076 (1986)Chicago Lock Co. v. Fanberg676 F.2d 400 (9th Cir. 1982)Centurion Industries, Inc. v. Warren Steurer and Associates665 F.2d 323 (1981)Powder River Basin Resource Council v. Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission320 P.3d 222 (Wyo. 2014)Procter & Gamble Co. v. Stoneham747 N.E.2d 268 (2000)