American Paper & Packaging Products, Inc. v. Kirgan

In American Paper & Packaging Products, Inc. v. Kirgan (1986) 183 Cal.App.3d 1318, the Court of Appeal affirmed a judgment for the defendants following a jury trial, holding that the evidence supported a conclusion there was no protectable trade secret because, although the information in question might not be generally known to the public, it was "known or readily ascertainable to other persons in the shipping business. The compilation process in this case is neither sophisticated nor difficult nor particularly time consuming." (American Paper, supra, 183 Cal.App.3d at pp. 1326-1327.) It is noteworthy that in affirming the trial court's denial of a preliminary injunction, the appellate court "viewed the evidence presented in the light most favorable to the prevailing party . . . ." (Id. at p. 1326.)