Stealing Trade Secrets and Economic Espionage: An Overview of 18 U.S.C. 1831 and 1832

"Stealing a trade secret is a federal crime when the information relates to a product in interstate or

foreign commerce, 18 U.S.C. 1832 (theft of trade secrets), or when the intended beneficiary is a foreign power, 18 U.S.C. 1831 (economic espionage). Section 1832 requires that the thief be aware that the misappropriation will injure the secret’s owner to the benefit of someone else. Section 1831 requires only that the thief intend to benefit a foreign government or one of its instrumentalities..."

Trade secrets and Espionage