White's Electronics, Inc. v. Teknetics, Inc.

Plaintiff White’s Electronics, Inc. (White’s) commenced this action seeking the imposition of a constructive trust for its benefit in all rights, patentable or otherwise relating to an invention developed by defendant George Payne. White’s also sought an injunction restraining defendants from selling any product embodying such an invention and from using any trade secrets or other proprietary information belonging to plaintiff. The trial court denied White’s any relief. We affirm.

White’s is a manufacturer of metal detectors. In 1969, White’s hired Payne, an electrical engineer, to invent new…