Case library · Sticky Fingers
Five Hundred Thousand Lines
United States v. Aleynikov (2012)
Charge: Theft of trade secrets and transporting stolen property in interstate commerceCourt: U.S. Court of Appeals, Second CircuitState: New YorkDocket: Sticky Fingers
The facts
A programmer at a large investment bank earned $400,000 a year. He took a job at a start-up trading firm. On his last day he uploaded more than 500,000 lines of source code from the bank's secret high-speed trading system to a server abroad, then downloaded it at home. He later flew with parts of the code on a flash drive and was arrested at the airport on his return. He was charged with stealing trade secrets and transporting stolen property. Both laws speak of 'goods' and products 'placed in commerce'.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Aleynikov, 676 F.3d 71 (2d Cir. 2012)
Read more at law.justia.com. The source reveals the outcome.