Photography / Image Rights — former employee took trade secrets

I've been trying to resolve this on my own but I'm stuck.

former employee took trade secrets. I've been dealing with this for about 9 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves original creative work over the past 7 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

What are the risks if I pursue this? What's the likely timeline?

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

I've dealt with this before.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

I practice in this area. Here's my take on the legal issues.

This is a common situation and the law is fairly clear. Under 17 U.S.C. § 106, substantially similar.

Before taking legal action, consider sending a formal demand letter. In many cases, this alone resolves the issue.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

I ended up having everything documented, which cost about $3-6 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

What worked for me was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. It took 2-4 months but was worth it.

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

Been there. Here's what I learned.

What worked for me was having everything documented. It took 3-6 months but was worth it.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

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.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

I ended up having everything documented, which cost about $3-6 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

What worked for me was having everything documented. It took 3-6 months but was worth it.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's legal aid society? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

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

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

In my case, it took about 4-8 months to resolve. The key was filing with the appropriate government agency.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.