PUBLIC LAW 104–294—OCT. 11, 1996
ECONOMIC ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1996
110 STAT. 3488
PUBLIC LAW 104–294—OCT. 11, 1996
Public Law 104–294
104th Congress
An Act
To amend title 18, United States Code, to protect proprietary economic information,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Economic Espionage Act of
1996’’.
TITLE I—PROTECTION OF TRADE
SECRETS
SEC. 101. PROTECTION OF TRADE SECRETS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title 18, United States Code, is amended
by inserting after chapter 89 the following:
‘‘CHAPTER 90—PROTECTION OF TRADE SECRETS
‘‘Sec.
‘‘1831. Economic espionage.
‘‘1832. Theft of trade secrets.
‘‘1833. Exceptions to prohibitions.
‘‘1834. Criminal forfeiture.
‘‘1835. Orders to preserve confidentiality.
‘‘1836. Civil proceedings to enjoin violations.
‘‘1837. Conduct outside the United States.
‘‘1838. Construction with other laws.
‘‘1839. Definitions.
‘‘§ 1831. Economic espionage
‘‘(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, photo-
copies, replicates, transmits, delivers, sends, mails, commu-
nicates, 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
18 USC 1 note.
Economic
Espionage Act of
1996.
Oct. 11, 1996
[H.R. 3723]
110 STAT. 3489
PUBLIC LAW 104–294—OCT. 11, 1996
‘‘(5) conspires with one or more other persons to commit
any offense described in any of paragraphs (1) through (3),
and one or m