Opinion ID: 2818115
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Unlawful Interference

Text: Under North Dakota law, a claim for unlawful interference with business requires proof of “an independently tortious or otherwise unlawful act of interference by the interferer” that “caused the harm sustained.” Trade ’N Post, L.L.C. v. World Duty Free Ams., Inc., 628 N.W.2d 707, 717 (N.D. 2001). Lexar argues that it had a business plan to develop its leases using LexMac and Novus’s trade secrets, but was prevented from doing so by Macquarie’s misappropriation. Even if Macquarie’s misappropriation constituted an “unlawful interference,” however, the North Dakota Uniform Trade Secrets Act “displaces conflicting tort, restitutionary, and other law of this state providing civil remedies for misappropriation of a trade secret.” N.D. Cent. Code § 47-25.1-07(1). Lexar’s claim is based solely on Macquarie’s misappropriation. Essentially, Lexar’s unlawful-interference claim constitutes an attempt to circumvent the North Dakota Trade Secrets Act’s preclusion of a misappropriation claim and is consequently displaced.