China’s Draft Amendments to Criminal Law Include U.S. Economic Espionage Act Provision

Posted on Categories Trade Secrets

Updated July 14, 2020 to reflect Mark Cohen’s thoughts. China’s National People’s Congress has released the Criminal Law Amendment (Eleven) (Draft) for comments.  Perhaps because of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) increased enforcement of the Economic Espionage Act (EEA) targeting China as a beneficiary, the Chinese draft adds a separate provision for foreign-related trade secret theft. Specifically, Article 219 will have a new paragraph, “For stealing, spying, buying, or illegally providing trade secrets to foreign institutions, organizations, and personnel, …

Defendant in China Wind Turbine Trade Secret Theft Case Sentenced to 3-Year Prison Term

Posted on Categories Trade Secrets

As reported by the Guangdong Higher People’s Court, the People’s Court of Huilai County of Jieyang City  sentenced defendant Liu Zhongyan to three years’ imprisonment and 1 million RMB fine for criminal trade secret theft on June 29, 2020.  Liu had stolen trade secrets relating to Mingyang Smart Energy Group Co., Ltd.’s first 7.25MW  offshore wind turbine.