The Economic Espionage Act

"Since the Economic Espionage Act (EEA) was enacted in 1996, it has steadily assumed a more important and visible role as a law enforcement tool. In 1999, then-Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder stated that because intellectual property theft was 'soaring, ' the Department of Justice had 'concluded that we must make these types of crime a major law enforcement priority, ' and promulgated 'the first, comprehensive inter-agency plan to combat the growing surge in the theft of intellectual property.' In 2013, Holder reported that between 2000 and 2010, DOJ had 'secured well over 100 convictions in cases involving criminal trade secret thefts.' This handbook is intended as a practical guide for prosecutors, defense lawyers and court system as the investigation and prosecution of economic espionage and trade secret theft assume a more central place in the U.S. criminal justice system."--