Who ‘Owns’ An Employer’s Contacts? New Judgment Provides Clarification

Contacts and connections are a key asset for many businesses, particularly those in the B2B space. However, disputes often arise as to whether or not the connections are 'owned' by the employee or the employer. This issue often comes to the fore in cases where a senior (and often well-connected) employee moves jobs and seek to leverage their existing rolodex to compete with their former employer. Despite the importance of this issue, there is not much case law addressing this point. Consequently, a recent decision of the Jersey Courts, though not binding in Ireland, is worth some attention.

In short, the Royal Court of Jersey has found that a business's client contact information is protected by laws of confidentiality and copyright. This decision came despite the argument that much of the information could be easily found online. The judgment is of interest as it concerns the use of client details and email addresses, such as those stored in Microsoft Outlook, and