Houston — I (’91) represented Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) in a trial against a former employee who developed software for the company. After developing a beta and turning over the object code for testing, the employee refused to submit the source code to the company. Subsequently, he blackmailed the company, demanding additional compensation before he would turn over the code.
The case went to trial this past week, July 28, 2004, in the 133rd Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas, where the court, on hearing the evidence, awarded Baker Hughes damages of $262,500 for the stolen code, a permanent injunction against the programmer, attorneys fees of approximately $30,000, and interest which continues to accrue.
(This is my personal entry and recount. It is not posted on behalf of Baker Hughes or the court. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited.)
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