Trade secrets are the focal point of ongoing international political tensions, with threats of trade wars, tariffs and criminal charges making the news on a daily basis. Experts from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimate the cost to the U.S. economy alone caused by theft of U.S. trade secrets is as high as $600 billion per year. Whether and how the political issues will be resolved is unclear, but one thing is certain: no political rhetoric, trade agreement or criminal prosecution will do much to protect a company from losses or restore its value once its trade secrets are stolen.
