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Economic Espionage Act
The Economic Espionage Act makes the theft or misappropriation of trade secrets a criminal offense.
Economic Espionage and Dumpster Diving
Taking papers from dumpsters outside offices is called "dumpster diving" and is a common tactic used by commercial information brokers as well as foreign intelligence services. It involves collecting and going through the trash left out for collection in front of residences and businesses. Stealing trash is not illegal. The Supreme Court ruled in 1988 that once an item is left for trash pickup, there is no expectation of privacy or continued ownership.
Penalties
Convicted individuals and organizations are subject to penalties up to $500,000 or up to 15 years in prison. In some cases an organization can be fined up to $5,000,000.
Read more about the Economic Espionage Act
1. Thomas Legislative information on the Internet provided by the Library of Congress.
2. Office of National
Counterintelligence Executive provides full text of the Act and some other
related links.
3. Economic
and Industrial Espionage: a Threat to Corporate America? Infocon Magazine,
October 2003.
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