2015 US Code
Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure (Sections 1 - 6005)
Part I - Crimes (Sections 1 - 2725)
Chapter 90 - Protection of Trade Secrets (Sections 1831 - 1839)
Sec. 1831 - Economic espionage
Publication Title | United States Code, 2012 Edition, Supplement 3, Title 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE |
Category | Bills and Statutes |
Collection | United States Code |
SuDoc Class Number | Y 1.2/5: |
Contained Within | Title 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE PART I - CRIMES CHAPTER 90 - PROTECTION OF TRADE SECRETS Sec. 1831 - Economic espionage |
Contains | section 1831 |
Date | 2015 |
Laws In Effect As Of Date | January 3, 2016 |
Positive Law | Yes |
Disposition | standard |
Source Credit | Added Pub. L. 104-294, title I, §101(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3488; amended Pub. L. 112-269, §2, Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2442. |
Statutes at Large References | 110 Stat. 3488 126 Stat. 2442 |
Public and Private Laws | Public Law 104-294, Public Law 112-269 |
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(a) In General.—Whoever, intending or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, foreign instrumentality, or foreign agent, knowingly—
(1) steals, or without authorization appropriates, takes, carries away, or conceals, or by fraud, artifice, or deception obtains a trade secret;
(2) without authorization copies, duplicates, sketches, draws, photographs, downloads, uploads, alters, destroys, photocopies, replicates, transmits, delivers, sends, mails, communicates, or conveys a trade secret;
(3) receives, buys, or possesses a trade secret, knowing the same to have been stolen or appropriated, obtained, or converted without authorization;
(4) attempts to commit any offense described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3); or
(5) conspires with one or more other persons to commit any offense described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3), and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy,
shall, except as provided in subsection (b), be fined not more than $5,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.
(b) Organizations.—Any organization that commits any offense described in subsection (a) shall be fined not more than the greater of $10,000,000 or 3 times the value of the stolen trade secret to the organization, including expenses for research and design and other costs of reproducing the trade secret that the organization has thereby avoided.
(Added Pub. L. 104–294, title I, §101(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3488; amended Pub. L. 112–269, §2, Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2442.)
AMENDMENTS2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–269, §2(a), substituted "not more than $5,000,000" for "not more than $500,000" in concluding provisions.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–269, §2(b), substituted "not more than the greater of $10,000,000 or 3 times the value of the stolen trade secret to the organization, including expenses for research and design and other costs of reproducing the trade secret that the organization has thereby avoided" for "not more than $10,000,000".
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