Proprietary Information
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-07-19
The exemption in subdivision 32 of § 2.2-3705.6 of FOIA applies to “information related to a grant application, or accompanying a grant application” that is submitted to the Department of Housing and Community Development as described in the exemption. Challenges to applications submitted as part of the Virginia Telecommunications Initiative program are not exempt from…
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-08-18
Discusses the use of the contract negotiations and economic development records exemptions. FOIA allows a records custodian to disclose exempt records in his discretion. Also discuss the working papers exemption as it applies to Cabinet Secretaries.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-03-16
Generally, requests for information (RFI’s) are preliminary to a procurement transaction or contract negotiations, and not directly part of such transactions or negotiations. FOIA does not contain any specific exclusion from mandatory disclosure that would allow information received in response to an RFI to be withheld. Whether other exclusions apply to such information, such as…
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ATI v. UVA
Supreme Court of Virginia rules unanimously that UVA can withhold records requested by the American Tradition Institute (ATI) under the exemption for academic research and “proprietary records.” Court adopts interpretation of “proprietary” that encompasses records that are within the “ownership, title and possession” of the university. Though the ruling is limited to the research exemption…
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FOI Advisory Opinion AO-01-13
Generally, records submitted by a private company to a state agency as required by regulation are public records subject to FOIA. Marking such records proprietary and confidential does not, by itself, make them exempt from mandatory disclosure; records are only exempt if there is a specific provision of law that allows them to be withheld.
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FOI Advisory Council Opinion AO-03-08
FOI Advisory Council discusses exemptions on vendor proprietary records, security system manuals, and school safety audits. Also discussed: duty of government to seek clarification if records request is confusing; failure to identify the volume of records requested that are subject to an exemption; and improperly denying records based on the sheer volume of the request.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 2007 #068
Virginia Retirement System can withhold information private equity firms provide the system on its structure, portfolio or strategy.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1998 #005
A record’s copyright status does not prevent it from being released under FOIA; lyric sheets and audio tapes are official records.
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Attorney General’s Opinion 1983-84 #439
Virginia Division of Tourism cannot withhold business data submitted by Virginia travel attractions. A private company that is supported wholly or principally by public funds is subject to FOIA.