Cypress Semiconductor Corp. v. Superior Court of Santa Clara County

Opinion

PREMO, Acting P. J.—

I. Introduction

This case arises under California’s Uniform Trade Secrets Act (Civ. Code, § 3426 et seq. (CUTSA)). The question presented is this: If someone steals a trade secret and then sells it to a third party, when does the statute of limitations begin to ran on any misappropriation claim the trade secret owner might have against the third party? The trial court concluded that the limitations period did not begin to run until the third party had actual notice of the trade secret owner’s claim to the information. For reasons we shall explain, we disagree with…