On October 11, 1996, President William J. Clinton signed the Economic Espionage Act ( 18 U.S.C. ��1831-1839, the “EEA”) heralding it as crucial to preserve “the competitiveness of critical U.S. industries” and to “protect the trade secrets of all businesses operating in the United States, foreign and domestic alike, from economic espionage and trade secret theft.” Law enforcement and industry groups convinced lawmakers that, in the post-cold war era, new protection was needed from foreign governments, businesses, and individuals ready to steal trade secrets in America.
SEVERE PENALTIES CONTEMPLATED UNDER EEA
