Billing firm secures injunction against contractor

A web-based medical billing company has secured High Court injunctions against a contractor alleged to have taken some of its material containing sensitive data.

Mr Justice Donald Binchy granted the orderd to Medical Billing Ltd against Stality Ltd and James Collado, both of Merton Hall, Mount St Annes, Milltown, Dublin 6.

Medical Billing Ltd, which send bills for doctors and hospitals through its website medicalbilling.ie, had hired Mr Collado and Stality to carry out various works on its website, the court heard.

Ronnie Hudson BL, for the company, said it contended that, in recent days, the defendants had logged into Medical Billings website and IT system and had unlawfully taken a backup of its database and the code. It is also alleged the defendants deleted files from Medical Billings’s IT system.

Counsel said the defendants were asked in correspondence to return the material allegedly taken but had failed to do so. There was concern about the data, he said.

The court was also toldthat, over the last number of months, Mr Collado had been in talks to become a partner of the company but no agreement was reached.

Counsel said, after his client obtained a temporary injunction last Tuesday, gardai called to the defendants premises and “broke down the door” before recovering copies of the material taken.

Counsel said his client is concerned the confidential data could still be circulated or disseminated by the defendants.

Mr Justice Binchy said he would grant the orders sought. The orders, which apply pending the full hearing of the action, direct Mr Collado and Stality Ltd to return data, including the back up of Medical Billing’s database which contains sensitive confidential information and the specific code required to run the website.

The injunctions, which are mandatory, also prevents Mr Collado and Stality, or any party with notice of the ordesr, disclosing, disseminating or circulating the data, or interfering with Medical Billing’s website or property.

Mr Collado was not in court during the application. Counsel said he had been made aware of the proceedings and is believed to be in Barcelona.