HELP! Is This Case a Bonifide Trade Secret or DMCA Violation?

Hello. I am a 48-year-old Ohio male with clinical depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and severe anti-social disorder. Deemed “disabled” by three doctors but unable to secure Social Security Disability benefits, I dabbled with the idea of becoming an online retailer of replacement parts for household-use breadmakers. Three long years of carefully-doented research ensude, research none before me had ever taken the time to gather. Subsequetly, I opened an online breadmaker parts store, single-handedly reviving a dying industry with eighteen months by supplying decade-old replacement parts formerly unavailable for decades. It was year-five that I decided to expand my horizons so on or about June 10, 2010 I emailed a business merger proposal to eBay members Danny Back and wife Rana Smith-Back (aka heavenlightly aka BreadMachinePartsFinder.com aka BreadMachineFinder.com). My message contained, among other details, an admission of my physical and emotional limitations. Regardless, the Backs verbally accepted my proposal and insisted that I relocate to their hometown of Huntsville, Alabama as soon as possible. On or about July 12, 2010 I sold what little belongings I had and chartered a Greyhound bus to Hunstville. Once I met with the Backs at a local restaurant to revisit our goals, with the mutual anticipation of acting on them the very next day. The next day came, and nothing. The next week came and still we had accomplished nothing. It seemed Danny needed to share his life story, a long dull tale that included rants of government conspiracies and the hypothalamus being the source of all illness. ??? Emotionally exhausted from the seemingly endless chatter and stalling, I finally snapped. Snapped? That’s putting it mildly. Better said: I had an emotional episode of stupenous proportions. Nervous breakdown. Wigged out. Flipped. Penniless and wandering about the city at night, the only sane act I could conjure up was to call a relative to purchase me a bus ticket back to Ohio. Within days of my return I emailed the Backs to inform them that the deal was off, insisting they refrain from using any of the research that I had shared with them during my short stay. Within weeks I could see from visits to their internet site that they were not willing to comply with my wishes. I then emailed a legal doent demanding that they cease and desist from the same. In both counts they confirmed having received my emails, arguing they had every right to continue using my research for personal gain. Looking back on this debacle I am left only to conclude the entire ordeal an evil plan to steal my trade secrets. If anyone would like to offer his or her’s advice on how I should pursue this matter, I’m listening. In fact, leave any comment you like for I’d really like to know your opinion regarding this matter. And feel free to call my voicemail at 419-581-5977. Thank you. Troy