7(1)(i)

FOIA

Valuable formulae, designs, and research data

Read the full statute text on /statutes →

Jump to the 3 issues decided under this provision, with a drafting brief ↓

1 upheld (no violation found) · 1 rejected (violation found), out of 2 documents.

Not legal advice, and not a per-exemption ruling — this reflects each document's overall disposition. See the FAQ disclaimer.

How the Public Access Counselor has treated 7(1)(i)

At a glance: 2 documents(0 binding opinions, 2 determination letters).

All 2 documents citing 7(1)(i)

Issues decided under 7(1)(i)

Individual questions the Public Access Bureau decided under this provision, with the rule it applied, grouped by outcome. Extracted automatically from the letters; check each source letter.

3 issues across 3 determination letters:2 violation found · 1 no violation.

Counts are per issue, not per letter, and come from automated extraction checked against sampled letters. Determination letters are not binding precedent.

Authorities the Bureau cites most on this issue

Lieber v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, 176 Ill. 2d 401, 407 (1997) cited 2 times
Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390, 844 N.E.2d 1 (2006) cited 1 times
Nelson v. Kendall County, 2014 IL 116303, 10 N.E.3d 893 cited 1 times

Drafting brief for an AI assistant

Copy this into your assistant to help draft a request, appeal, or challenge to a denial that turns on this issue. It carries the rules and decisions, not your facts: add those yourself. Machine-readable version: foia-7-1-i.json.

TOPIC: 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(i) - Valuable formulae, designs, and research data
SOURCE: Illinois Attorney General Public Access Bureau decisions compiled at https://illinoisfoia.org/exemptions/7-1-i/
NOTE: Determination letters are not binding precedent; they show how the Bureau applies the law. Verify every decision against the source PDF before citing it.

VIOLATION FOUND (2):
- Redaction of scoring values under valuable formulae exemption
  Rule: Assigned scores are not valuable formulae or research data, and the risk of misuse by unscrupulous facilities is too speculative to show private gain or public loss.
  Decision: Staff Intensity Scale scores for intermediate care facilities (non-binding determination letter, December 4, 2018) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-52452/
- Section 7(1)(i) exemption for valuable formulae and research data
  Rule: The Department's generalized and conclusory explanation did not establish that disclosure could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss, and it failed to identify which exemptions apply to which records.
  Decision: Records on gating Griffith Cave and Natural Heritage Database access (non-binding determination letter, October 30, 2018) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-49942/

NO VIOLATION (1):
- Redaction of band numbers and locations as research data
  Rule: Band numbers and banding locations are research data exempt from disclosure because release could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss.
  Decision: Waterfowl banding locations and identification numbers (non-binding determination letter, February 10, 2025) https://illinoisfoia.org/opinions/letter-83854/

MOST-CITED AUTHORITIES: Lieber v. Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, 176 Ill. 2d 401, 407 (1997); Southern Illinoisan v. Illinois Department of Public Health, 218 Ill. 2d 390, 844 N.E.2d 1 (2006); Nelson v. Kendall County, 2014 IL 116303, 10 N.E.3d 893

TASK FOR THE ASSISTANT: Using only the decisions above, help draft a letter. Argue from the rule and cite the decision by name and date. Do not invent decisions.

Violation found (2)

Redaction of scoring values under valuable formulae exemption
Rule: Assigned scores are not valuable formulae or research data, and the risk of misuse by unscrupulous facilities is too speculative to show private gain or public loss.
Violation found Staff Intensity Scale scores for intermediate care facilities · December 4, 2018
Section 7(1)(i) exemption for valuable formulae and research data
Rule: The Department's generalized and conclusory explanation did not establish that disclosure could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss, and it failed to identify which exemptions apply to which records.
Violation found Records on gating Griffith Cave and Natural Heritage Database access · October 30, 2018

No violation (1)

Redaction of band numbers and locations as research data
Rule: Band numbers and banding locations are research data exempt from disclosure because release could reasonably be expected to produce private gain or public loss.
No violation Waterfowl banding locations and identification numbers · February 10, 2025