French Company SA Neurtelec Awarded $5.8 Million Trade Secrets Jury Verdict Against Boulder, Colorado's Otologics

The Denver Post is reporting that a Denver jury Wednesday awarded $5.9 million to a French company that sued a Boulder firm for misappropriating trade secrets as well as several key employees who could help produce a highly specialized hearing implant for the deaf.

The verdict in Denver District Court for SA Neurtelec and against Otologics came after a three-week trial that detailed how the Boulder company, a manufacturer of an inner-ear hearing device, first planned to buy its competitor for $30 million, then hired away its top talent when the offer was rejected.

At issue is a cochlear implant that could revolutionize the industry because it would be entirely implanted. Currently the technology allows for only half of the device to be implanted.