Federal · Title 7 — Agriculture

7 U.S.C. § 2157: Release of trade secrets

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

Unlawfully disclosing trade secrets or confidential business information is prohibited. Non-willful violations carry up to $1,000 fine and one year imprisonment; willful violations carry up to $10,000 fine and three years imprisonment. Injured parties may recover damages and attorney fees.

Read the full statutory text

the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or apparatus; or the identity, confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures, to use or attempt to use to his advantages; or to reveal to any other person, removal from such Committee; and a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment of not more than one year; or if such violation is willful, a fine of not more than $10,000 and imprisonment of not more than three years. Any person, including any research facility, injured in its business or property by reason of a violation of this section may recover all actual and consequential damages sustained by such person and the cost of the suit including a reasonable attorney’s fee. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any other rights of a person injured in its business or property by reason of a violation of this section. Subsection (d) shall not be construed to limit the exercise of any such rights arising out of or relating to a violation of subsections (a) and (b).

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.