Executive Summary: A District Court in Pennsylvania entered judgment in favor of the employer on a former employee’s Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (“CFAA”) claim in a dispute over the ownership of the employee’s LinkedIn account created during the scope of her employment. The Court ruled that the employee’s allegations of the loss of potential business opportunities, goodwill, and/or interference with customers are not cognizable losses under the CFAA, even though it was undisputed that the employee lost control of the LinkedIn account after she was terminated. The Court also dismissed the employee’s trademark claim because she failed to demonstrate that the employer created confusion, or the likelihood of confusion, when it replaced the employee’s name and photo on the LinkedIn profile with her successor’s name and photo on the same account.
Home > Federal Law Articles > Restrictive Covenants > Noncompete News: Noncompete News: Former Employee Can’t Sue Employer Under Computer Fraud and Abuse Act Over The Ownership Of Employee’s Social Media Account