Content Scraping / Data Copying — former employee took trade secrets

I'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.

former employee took trade secrets. I've been dealing with this for about 7 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves software/code I developed over the past 11 months. I do not have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

What's the typical outcome in situations like this?

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

NAL, but from what I've read, you should send a written demand. That said, definitely get a lawyer to look at the specifics.

Licensed attorney — a few thoughts. Here's my take on the legal issues.

The legal framework here involves both federal and state law. At the federal level, the DMCA safe harbor provisions. Your state may provide additional protections.

The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's consumer protection office? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.