Curtis, without authorization and after many unsuccessful attempts to access the information, downloads a formula used by his employer to make an award-winning product. He plans to sell the formula to a competitor and make enough money to retire. Instead, he may face:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 (EEA) makes it a federal crime to steal trade secrets. The EEA defines a trade secret as "any information that is not generally known to the public and that gives its owner a competitive advantage." The formula that Curtis downloaded is a trade secret, and he stole it without authorization. Therefore, he may face a fine of up to $500,000 or imprisonment for up to ten years.

Curtis, Without Authorization and After Many Unsuccessful Attempts to Access