United States v. Arora
United States District Court for the District of Maryland
860 F.Supp. 1091 (1994)
Dr. Arora (defendant) intentionally destroyed the Alpha 1-4 cell line being developed at NIH by himself and colleagues Drs. Wong and Sei, a line with significant research value for alcohol, Alzheimer's, and neurotoxicity studies; the government (plaintiff) sued for trespass and conversion, and after a bench trial, the court considered whether Arora's intentional destruction constituted conversion and how to calculate resulting damages.
Whether a defendant may be found liable for conversion, and required to pay damages, for the intentional destruction of a research cell line if the defendant exercised dominion or control over it that seriously interfered with another's right to control it.