Lowe
A rooftop support product manufacturer alleges one of its former buyers disclosed its confidential information to another business, causing it to lost a significant number of customers.
Clearline Technologies filed a lawsuit Aug. 2 in Madison County Circuit Court against Cooper B-Line.
In its complaint, Clearline alleges it entered into a proprietary information agreement with Cooper in which Clearline agreed to supply strut supports, bridge supports and other rooftop support products to Cooper. In addition to the agreement, Clearline and Cooper reached a verbal compromise that Cooper would exclusively distribute Clearline's materials across the United States, according to the complaint.
Cooper sold Clearline's products from 2005 until Cooper's president abruptly terminated the agreement in 2008, the suit states.
Before the termination of the agreement, Cooper had allegedly provided Clearline's confidential "hollow core" design to another manufacturer, who then began marketing the stolen idea as its own, the complaint says.
Cooper began selling its new product to Clearline's customers, thereby stealing Clearline's customer base from it, Clearline claims.
Because of the incident, Clearline lost profits and Cooper was unjustly enriched, according to the complaint.
In its complaint, Clearline is seeking compensatory damages, plus costs, attorneys' fees, pre- and post-judgment interest and other relief the court deems just.
Jeffrey J. Lowe of Carey, Danis and Lowe in St. Louis will be representing it.
Madison County Circuit Court case number: 12-L-1201.