Court reduces $52 million order in trade secret case

Aclara BioSciences, a US developer of lab-on-a-chip technology that was ordered to pay rival company Caliper Technologies $52 million over the disclosure of trade secrets, has succeeded in persuading a court to reduce the damages to reflect a $12 million settlement from another related case and reduced by $5 million the sum awarded by a jury making its final award a total of $47 million.23 Nov 2000

Caliper won its case by convincing a US court that patent lawyer Dr. Bertrain Rowland represented both Aclara and Caliper during overlapping periods, that he misused Caliper’s trade secrets, and that Aclara should be liable for Dr. Rowland's actions. Alcara claimed that it did not know that Dr. Rowland was also acting for its competitor.

The companies also have two outstanding patent disputes.

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