Computer source code isn’t a physical object under federal stolen property laws, according to a federal court of appeals that overturned the conviction of a former Goldman Sachs programmer. Sergey Aleynikov, the programmer, was wrongly convicted under the National Stolen Property Act and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, according to a decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. The court ruled that while the stolen code was meant to be secret to maintain a competitive advantage, it doesn’t qualify as “tangible” property.
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Federal Court Rules Pilfered Source Code Isn't Stolen Loot
Posted by: Rachelle Dragani April 13, 2012 10:55 AMComputer source code isn’t a physical object under federal stolen property laws, according to a federal court of appeals that overturned the conviction of a former Goldman Sachs programmer. Sergey Aleynikov, the programmer, was wrongly convicted under the National Stolen Property Act and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, according to a decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday. The court ruled that while the stolen code was meant to be secret to maintain a competitive advantage, it doesn’t qualify as “tangible” property.