Us Code § 2157 - Release of trade secrets
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 2157 — Release of trade secrets, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 2157. Release of trade secrets
(a) Release of confidential information prohibited
It shall be unlawful for any member of an Institutional Animal Committee to release any confidential information of the research facility including any information that concerns or relates to—
(1) the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or apparatus; or
(2) the identity, confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures,
of the research facility.
(b) Wrongful use of confidential information prohibited
It shall be unlawful for any member of such Committee—
(1) to use or attempt to use to his advantages; or
(2) to reveal to any other person,
any information which is entitled to protection as confidential information under subsection (a).
(c) Penalties
A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is punishable by—
(1) removal from such Committee; and
(2)(A) a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment of not more than one year; or
(B) if such violation is willful, a fine of not more than $10,000 and imprisonment of not more than three years.
(d) Recovery of damages by injured person; costs; attorney's fee
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.
(e) Other rights and remedies
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).
(Pub. L. 89–544, §27, as added Pub. L. 99–198, title XVII, §1754, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1649.)
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Section effective one year after Dec. 23, 1985, see section 1759 of Pub. L. 99–198, set out as an Effective Date of 1985 Amendment note under section 2131 of this title.
About This Section
7 U.S.C. § 2157 is part of Title 7 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
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