Lawyer Article
The Economic Espionage Act - Is It Finally Catching On
March 15, 2006
Published in the March 22, 2006 edtion of Southeast Tech Wire.
This article was originally published in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, March 13, 2006
The federal Economic Espionage Act (the "EEA") was passed by Congress in 1996 to facilitate criminal prosecutions for theft of trade secrets from U.S. companies. The EEA is a powerful tool for federal prosecutors and potentially a great boon to companies owning trade secrets. Is the law, though, living up to its potential?
The objective data appear to indicate that in most judicial districts the EEA may not be used to its full extent. While prosecutions may continue to increase in coming years, companies will need to work hard to make sure their trade secrets are protected and to convince prosecutors to go to bat for those trade secrets.
Click here to access Womble Carlyle's Trade Secrets Blog to read Press Millen's and Todd Sullivan's examination of the data and discussion of why it's important for companies to take action to make sure their trade secrets are protected.
This document is intended as an informational reminder and does not constitute legal advice. If you have any questions or would like to discuss a particular situation, please contact Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP. The purpose of this article is to provide general information about significant legal developments and should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts and circumstances.