---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 1831"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "1831"
heading: "Economic espionage"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1831"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 90 — Protection of Trade Secrets"
---

# §1831. Economic espionage

- (a) **In General.—** [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1), intending or knowing that the offense will benefit any foreign government, [foreign instrumentality](/usc/18/1839.md?p=1), or [foreign agent](/usc/18/1839.md?p=2), knowingly—
  - (1) steals, or without authorization appropriates, takes, carries away, or conceals, or by fraud, artifice, or deception obtains a [trade secret](/usc/18/1839.md?p=3);
  - (2) without authorization copies, duplicates, sketches, draws, photographs, downloads, uploads, alters, destroys, photocopies, replicates, transmits, delivers, sends, mails, communicates, or conveys a [trade secret](/usc/18/1839.md?p=3);
  - (3) receives, buys, or possesses a [trade secret](/usc/18/1839.md?p=3), knowing the same to have been stolen or appropriated, obtained, or converted without authorization;
  - (4) attempts to commit any offense described in any of paragraphs [(1)](#a-1) through [(3)](#a-3); or
  - (5) conspires with one or more other [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) to commit any offense described in any of paragraphs [(1)](#a-1) through [(3)](#a-3), and one or more of such [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy,

  shall, except as provided in [subsection (b)](#b), be fined not more than $5,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 15 years, or both.

- (b) **Organizations.—** Any [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4) that commits any offense described in [subsection (a)](#a) shall be fined not more than the greater of $10,000,000 or 3 times the value of the stolen [trade secret](/usc/18/1839.md?p=3) to the [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4), including expenses for research and design and other costs of reproducing the [trade secret](/usc/18/1839.md?p=3) that the [organization](/usc/18/2256.md?p=4) has thereby avoided.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–294, title I, § 101(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3488; amended Pub. L. 112–269, § 2, Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2442.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–269, § 2(a), substituted “not more than $5,000,000” for “not more than $500,000” in concluding provisions.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–269, § 2(b), substituted “not more than the greater of $10,000,000 or 3 times the value of the stolen trade secret to the organization, including expenses for research and design and other costs of reproducing the trade secret that the organization has thereby avoided” for “not more than $10,000,000”.