When you think of espionage, you probably think about nations spying on one another for information. This is because it is more common to hear about nations gathering intelligence on their rivals than it is to hear about Missouri corporate or industrial espionage. Now, some corporate espionage is okay. However, some is also illegal.
According to CSO online, corporate spying happens when company uses espionage techniques for financial or commercial reasons. There are multiple types of industrial espionage. If you hack into a competitor’s computer, wiretap a competitor, pose as an employee for trade secrets or otherwise trespass to access files, your techniques fall under espionage.
Now, this is not the only way that a company can commit espionage. Sometimes, an insider will simply transfer the trade secrets to another company. Often disgruntled employees or someone hired by a competitor will take information to deliver to the rival.
The laws behind corporate espionage are tricky. For instance, you can send secret shoppers to other stores to see how they perform as a business. You cannot, however, steal commercial secrets. This can constitute a federal crime. When it comes to corporate espionage, there are harsh sentences behind it. However, your sentence or if you face charges at all has everything to do with your circumstances. Some cases of espionage do not merit criminal prosecution. For instance, if stealing a trade secret did not damage the owner economically, the person may face lesser charges.
None of the above is supposed to be legal advice. This article is designed to inform on what corporate espionage is.
