Source: https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/opinions/openrecords/49cornyn/orl/2000/htm/or200000106.htm
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 19:30:05
Document Index: 525711665

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 757', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 552', '§ 757']

Cornyn Open Records Letter Ruling January 11, 2000
OR2000-0106
You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID#131138.
The Texas Department of Transportation ("TxDOT") received a request for a "copy of JOBE Concrete Products, Inc. high binder course matrix mix design approved for work by TxDOT." Pursuant to section 552.305 of the Government Code, you notified JOBE Concrete Products, Inc. ("JOBE") of the request for information. JOBE responded to the notice by arguing that its job mix formulas and mix designs are protected trade secrets under section 552.110 of the Government Code.
Section 552.110 protects the property interests of private parties by excepting from disclosure two types of information: (1) trade secrets, and (2) commercial or financial information for which it is demonstrated based on specific factual evidence that disclosure would cause substantial competitive harm to the person from whom the information was obtained is excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021.
Restatement of Torts § 757 cmt. b (1939). In determining whether particular information constitutes a trade secret, this office considers the Restatement's definition of trade secret as well as the Restatement's list of six trade secret factors.(1) Id. This office will accept a claim for exception as a trade secret when a prima facie case is made that the information in question constitutes a trade secret and no argument is submitted that rebuts that claim as a matter of law. Open Records Decision No. 552 at 5 (1990).
We have reviewed JOBE's arguments and the submitted information and conclude that the submitted information is excepted from public disclosure under the trade secret prong of section 552.110. Therefore, you must withhold the requested information.
This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For example, governmental bodies are prohibited from asking the attorney general to reconsider this ruling. Gov't Code § 552.301(f). If the governmental body wants to challenge this ruling, the governmental body must appeal by filing suit in Travis County within 30 calendar days. Id. § 552.324(b). In order to get the full benefit of such an appeal, the governmental body must file suit within 10 calendar days. Id. § 552.353(b)(3), (c). If the governmental body does not appeal this ruling and the governmental body does not comply with it , then both the requestor and the attorney general have the right to file suit against the governmental body to enforce this ruling. Id. § 552.321(a).
Ref:	ID#131138
cc:	Mr. Steve Allen
D.J. Contractors, Inc.
279 Shadow Mountain, Suite CC
1. The six factors that the Restatement gives as indicia of whether information constitutes a trade secret are: "(1) the extent to which the information is known outside of [the company]; (2) the extent to which it is known by employees and others involved in [the company's] business; (3) the extent of measures taken by [the company] to guard the secrecy of the information; (4) the value of the information to [the company] and [its] competitors; (5) the amount of effort or money expended by [the company] in developing the information; (6) the ease or difficulty with which the information could be properly acquired or duplicated by others." Restatement of Torts § 757 cmt. b (1939); see also Open Records Decision Nos. 319 at 2 (1982), 306 at 2 (1982), 255 at 2 (1980).