Question

The federal Economic Espionage Act, passed in 1996, criminalizes ________.

a) copyright infringement
b) utility patent violations
c) design patent violations
d) trademark violations
e) the theft of trade secrets

Answer 1

The Economic Espionage Act of 1996 criminalizes the theft of trade secrets, protecting intellectual property that isn't covered by patent or copyright, like the Coca-Cola formula.

Step-by-step explanation:

The federal Economic Espionage Act, passed in 1996, criminalizes the theft of trade secrets. This act forms part of the body of laws that protect intellectual property, which includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secret law. This protection is crucial for companies that may not have a patent but have valuable information, such as formulas or business processes, which are deemed trade secrets. An example of a well-guarded trade secret is the formula for Coca-Cola.