嘗試界定侵害營業秘密罪之未遂犯──從美國經濟間諜法思考

An Attempt to Define Criminal Attempts of Trade Secret Infringement: An Idea from the United States’ Economic Espionage ActEspionage Act

本文在探索營業秘密法之侵害營業秘密罪未遂犯。研究的靈感來自於，如果被告有意竊取營業秘密，儘管其竊得的資訊最後被法院認定不合營業秘密之三要件，則該被告可否以「未遂犯」論。本文嘗試處理三項議題：（1）潛在之侵害營業秘密罪未遂犯案例調查：以侵害營業秘密罪的刑事判決，歸納犯罪模式的類型；（2）美國經濟間諜法（Economic Espionage Act, EEA）之著手犯（類似未遂犯）概念及相關司法判決分析：整理與歸納涉及18 U.S.C. § 1831(a)(4)及18 U.S.C. § 1832(a)(4)的相關判決，以勾勒EEA著手犯認定的全貌；（3）建構侵害營業秘密罪未遂犯之理論體系：意在承襲國內刑法學者的理論或見解，進而在營業秘密侵害的情境下，思索未遂犯成立的認定。本文建議若竊取者有意圖竊取營業秘密，且客觀上受害單位有採取合理保密措施以保護營業用資訊時，即使該竊取者竊得之資訊未能被法院視為營業秘密，仍可判該竊取者構成未遂犯。

This article seeks to illustrate criminal attempts of trade secret misappropriation under Article 13-1 and 13-2 of the Trade Secrets Act. The research idea originates from a question of whether a person intending to steal a trade secret should be found guilty for a criminal attempt even though the stolen information does not meet the definition of a trade secret. Therefore, this article discusses three issues. The first issue is to uncover potential attempt cases based on previous trade secret cases and to categorize different criminal activities. The second issue relates to the United States’ Economic Espionage Act and focuses on criminal attempts punishable under the Act and relevant cases associated with 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831(a)(4) and 1832(a)(4). The third issue is to develop a theoretical framework of analyzing criminal attempt cases under the Trade Secrets Act based on the theories and opinions explained by criminal law scholars. This paper suggests that a person should be held liable to criminal attempt of stealing a trade secret if the victim has implemented a reasonable measure to protect its business information in general.