28 THE LAW AFFECTING ENGINEEKS 



Birmingham would not be considered too wide. The Court, 

 however, will study the facts of each case in order to see 

 whether the covenant is too wide. Thus, suppose the firm 

 were manufacturers of a particular kind of engine made only 

 by them, and that their custom extended all over the British 

 Islands ; in such a case it is conceived that a covenant by the 

 manager not to carry on business in that line anywhere in 

 England, Scotland, or Ireland might be enforced. Further 

 than this, the trend of decision has been to enlarge the 

 boundary of restriction if it can be shown that the business 

 sought to be protected has a wide field. In one case, indeed, 

 as we have seen, a world-wide covenant was enforced. 

 Nevertheless, an employer will act prudently in not asking 

 his managers and assistants to sign any covenant which is 

 wider than what he reasonably requires for his protection. 

 He should also be careful to put the covenant in such a form 

 that it can be severed. In the hypothetical case of the 

 employer at Birmingham he might frame his covenant so as 

 to prevent the manager setting up for himself in " Birming- 

 ham, Liverpool, and Leeds." If the Court was of opinion 

 that such a covenant was too wide, it would be possible to 

 limit its operation to Birmingham. 



19. Disclosure of secrets by a servant. While dealing with 

 the relationship of master and servant, it may be useful to 

 consider how far the law will protect a master from the dis- 

 closure of his trade secrets by those who are or who have been 

 in his employment. 



If it were competent for a workman to acquire information 

 while in the employment of A. ; for him then to terminate his 

 engagement with A., and take employment with B. for the 

 express purpose of selling to B. the information so acquired, 

 it would never be safe for any man of business to employ 

 a clerk or servant except in accordance with the terms of a 

 stringent agreement. 



The law, however, implies an agreement to the effect that 

 the employee shall keep his master's secrets. Further, it will 

 give effect to this implied agreement by allowing the master to 

 obtain an injunction to restrain the improper use of informa- 

 tion obtained from him by persons at one time in his 

 employment. 



In the case of Morison v. Moat, 1851, 9 Hare, 241, an 



