§2157 — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

A member of an Institutional Animal Committee must not share or use a research facility’s confidential information. Confidential information includes trade secrets, methods, how the facility works, equipment, and private identity or financial details like amounts or sources of income. Members cannot use the information for personal gain or tell others what they learn. Anyone who breaks this can be removed from the committee and face criminal penalties: up to $1,000 and one year in jail, or if done willfully, up to $10,000 and three years. Anyone harmed, including the facility, can sue to recover actual and consequential damages and legal costs, including attorney fees, and keep any other legal rights.

Title 7, §2157

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)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,

(b)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,

(c)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)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)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).

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.

§2157 Release of trade secrets

Summary

Title 7, §2157

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata