Tribune sues former Chicago magazine exec over trade secrets

By The Associated Press

Tribune Co. has sued the former publisher of its Chicago magazine, accusing him of stealing trade secrets before leaving the publication for a rival magazine in early April. 

Tribune charges in a lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court that John Carroll spent his final weeks at the Tribune-owned publication "arming himself with Chicago magazine's trade secrets," including information on its budget, advertisers and circulation. 

The suit says Carroll also tapped advertising representatives for in-depth information about the magazine's key accounts. 

Carroll told the Chicago Sun-Times that he already knew all that information from having spent 12 years at the monthly magazine. 

"I know all the rates by heart,'' Carroll said. "There's nothing to steal."

Carroll resigned April 2 to become a principal at Modern Luxury Publishing, a Chicago magazine publisher that puts out several free magazines including Chicago Social, which competes with Chicago magazine for the same high-end advertisers. 

The suit seeks a temporary restraining order to stop Carroll from working at Chicago Social for one year. It also seeks to have Carroll return any salary he made at Chicago magazine while "working on behalf of a competitor." 

Tribune, publisher of the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers, acquired Chicago magazine from Primedia Inc. in 2002 for $35 million.