Industrial Espionage Act Law and Legal Definition
Industrial Espionage Act, otherwise known as the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 is a U.S. federal statute that makes theft or misappropriation of a trade secret a federal crime. The Act deals only with commercial information. The Act criminalizes misappropriation of trade secrets with the knowledge or intent that the theft will benefit a foreign power. The misappropriation of trade secrets related to or included in a product that is produced for or placed in interstate (including international) commerce, with the knowledge or intent that the misappropriation will injure the owner of the trade secret is also made an offense. The Act is codified at 18 USCA §§ 1831–1839.
