Legal Question in Business Law in California

Re: customer names/database

If you'll re-read the first sentence of your question, you'll see that it doesn't read smoothly. I think you made a typing mistake and I'm unable to figure out exactly what you meant by "I converted and names/addresses."

Nevertheless, it looks to me as though you may be in pretty serious trouble.

Lists of customers' names and addresses are sometimes, but not always, trade secrets, and misappropriation of trade secrets is a civil offense and you could be sued. See Civil Code section 3426 through 3426.11; you should be able to find a copy of the code on line or at a larger public library.

Customer lists are not trade secrets if (1) the information, as assembled by the employer, is readily available without major time and effort, e.g. from the Yellow Pages or an industry directory, or (2) the employer makes little or no effort to maintain its secrecy. However, in a majority of the reported lawsuits I've seen for misappropriation of trade secrets in which the trade secret was a customer list, the plaintiff has prevailed.