West Virginia Code 47-22-3 – Damages
(a) Except to the extent that a material and prejudicial change of position prior to acquiring knowledge or reason to know of misappropriation renders a monetary recovery inequitable, a complainant is entitled to recover damages for misappropriation. Damages may include both the actual loss caused by the misappropriation and the unjust enrichment caused by the misappropriation. In lieu of damages measured by any other methods, the damages caused by misappropriation may be measured by imposition of liability for a reasonable royalty for a misappropriator's unauthorized disclosure or use of a trade secret.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 47-22-3
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Misappropriation: means :
(1) Acquisition of a trade secret of another by a person who knows or has reason to know that the trade secret was acquired by improper means. See West Virginia Code 47-22-1
- Trade secret: means information, including, but not limited to, a formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process, that:
(1) Derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use. See West Virginia Code 47-22-1
(b) If willful and malicious misappropriation occurs, the court may award exemplary damages in an amount not exceeding twice any award made under subsection (a).