{"id":352059,"date":"2023-08-25T14:44:20","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T19:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/economic-espionage.html"},"modified":"2023-08-25T14:44:20","modified_gmt":"2023-08-25T19:44:20","slug":"economic-espionage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/economic-espionage.html","title":{"rendered":"Economic Espionage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Economic Espionage<\/h1>\n
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\n By Lyle Therese A. Hilotin-Lee, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Rhonda Earhart, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Economic espionage is a crime that involves stealing or sabotaging types of intellectual property. These secrets may benefit a foreign government, agent, or organization. It often creates a risk for the nation’s finance and technology sectors. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

Filmmakers might exaggerate portrayals of spies in action movies. However, the real-world complexities of foreign commerce industrial espionage are profound.<\/p>\r\n

The Department of Justice and the U.S. attorney general deal with nuanced scenarios. Foreign entities often aim to extract proprietary information from corporations and governments.<\/p>\r\n

Corporate espionage can cause significant financial losses to businesses nationwide. Thus, it is crucial to understand that these actions constitute a violation of the law. Congress established a set of laws to penalize these acts.<\/p>\r\n

This article discusses the various types of espionage and what to do if you’ve been charged with a crime against the government<\/a>. For personalized advice, speak with a criminal defense attorney<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Economic Espionage Defined<\/h2>\r\n

Congress criminalizes economic espionage under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 (EEA)<\/a>. With the amendment of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, stealing trade secrets became a federal crime.<\/p>\r\n

According to this congressional act, a person violates the law if the U.S. attorney can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the following points are all true:<\/p>\r\n