FRESNO – Two Fresno and one Modesto businesses allege that two Belgium entities misappropriated their trade secrets to develop a competing product.
E. & J. Gallo Winery, doing business as San Joaquin Valley Concentrates; G3 Enterprises Inc., doing business as Delaware G3 Enterprises Inc.; and MCD Technologies Inc. filed a complaint on June 15 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division against Instituut Voor Landbouw-En Visserijonderzoek; Eigen Vermogen VH Instituut Voor LandBouw-En Visserijonderzoek; Flanders' Food; and Does 1-10 alleging breach of contract and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that developed the Refractance Window dryer to use for drying organic products used for colorants and nutraceutical products.
The plaintiffs holds Instituut Voor Landbouw-En Visserijonderzoek; Eigen Vermogen VH Instituut Voor LandBouw-En Visserijonderzoek; Flanders' Food; and Does 1-10 responsible because the defendants allegedly stole the plaintiff's technology and deceived the plaintiffs into qualifying the technology under European standards, which enabled it to sell a competing dryer.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek damages, interest, exemplary and punitive damages, all legal fees, enjoin the defendant, and any other relief as the court deems just. They are represented by WIlliam F. Abrams, Sanjeet K. Dutta and Seth R. Sias of Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Palo Alto.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division case number 1:17-cv-00808-DAD-EPG