Any corporation that has its secrets stolen, or its product copied will present a professional image to the world, but inside the boardroom, tempers are flaring. It’s normal to be raging that another company has taken something that you made or have been working on, and tell the world that it’s their own. This is something that you will find is a complex issue and littered with mines. You don’t want to step on the wrong toes, and especially not with too much weight. We are talking about legal weight, of course. A letter of demand is the course of action that you need to take, but just how do you do it?
Get it right
Normally, when your product or service has been copied or perhaps stolen, then you will hear about it from someone else. As a business owner, you are very focused on making your business better, not watching the corporate news channels or reading the latest issue of Forbes. You will need to get it right. So whoever told you or wherever you read the story, you need to contact them and have a conversation. Ask pertinent questions about the similarities. Think about your product or service. What are the key design features that make it unique? Ask questions concerning this. For example, if you were Samsung and you heard a rumor that Apple had stolen or copied your camera, you’d ask about the aperture or moving lens features first, right?
Gather the team
Usually, if there has been an event whereby a rival has managed to understand and implement your designs into their own products, the leak is inside the business. Before you go any further, and before you take legal action, do an internal investigation. Was there anyone that could have given trade secrets away? This is usually the thing that does it. Your data is protected, and you always take precautions to not leak anything to the media, so it must have been a disgruntled employee. If your HR team cannot get to the bottom of it, then you have to sigh and move forward anyway.
Taking legal action
Make sure that you have gathered some kind of proof for a legal team to work with. Then speak to a team like the maatouks law group who deal with corporate law cases. They are experts in letters of demand, and they will word it in such a way that gets to the heart of the matter. They know all the technical teams you may want to use, they have dealt with design, features and services issues, so they know what to expect in terms of responses. Allow the team to do their work, letters of demand usually have a set time limit for the accused to respond, so don’t expect things to move super quickly.
Letters of demands are one of the most serious things any corporation can experience. So always make sure you have your intelligence and proof at the ready or at least, certain knowledge that a rival has broken the law with regard to your products or services. With enough evidence, you’ll be able to stand before a judge like Natalie Chase and not only plead your case, but win it as well. Your legal team will be able to tell you exactly what type of proof and documentation you need in accordance with the law, afterward creating a solid argument that will be used to get you the justice you require. Speaking of your legal team, don’t be afraid to seek advice from them anytime you need clarification – they are experts in their industry and can answer any questions you might have!
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