What do Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and Celine Dion all have
in common? Until recently, their own unique perfumes produced
by Givaudan Fragrances Corporation, the largest flavor and
fragrance manufacturer in the world. They still have
perfumes, but unique? Maybe; maybe not. For the last
five years, Givaudan has been in litigation against its former vice
president and his new employer over alleged misappropriation of
Givaudan's secret fragrance formulas. Last month,
following a five-week trial, that litigation finally came to an
end, with a New Jersey federal court jury unanimously holding defendants James Krivda and
Mane USA, Inc. not liable.
The lawsuit dates back to September 2008, when Givaudan sued
Krivda and Mane soon after Krivda left to work for the
competitor. Givaudan alleged that Krivda accessed its secret
database just before he resigned and printed 616 of Givaudan's
secret fragrance formulas. Givaudan further claimed Mane
later sold dozens of
