Telluride Asset Management, a fund run by Peter Hajas, is trying to enjoin one of its former portfolio managers from using "Markowitzian mean-variance optimization" in his future work because it constitutes a "trade secret" that is "owned in full" by Telluride, usage of which would generate "irreparable harm to Telluride". Defense asserts arguments do not pass the "giggle test".

A fairly readable set of briefs were filed on March 23 in Minneapolis.

Here's the Plaintiff: Tridecap (pdf, 884 KB)

Here's the Defense: defendant (pdf, 849 KB)

Update March 20, 2008: Millions of dollars later (see here), some legal docs (see here), no definition of the intellectual property with any particularity. Why Europeans should avoid America.