Q: Corporate Espionage
I want to call an online seller and get their lowest price in writing and then put that price on the net for others who are looking for that seller's lowest price. Would I be committing corporate espionage?
A:
There are laws that attempt to deter, as you call it, corporate espionage. One of those is the Economic Espionage Act. This, in part, deals with espionage that benefits a foreign power, and, in part, deals with the theft of trade secrets. Note that even if a person avoids criminal penalties, the victim can still bring a civil action -- for misappropriation of trade secrets, for example.
You should meet with an attorney in your area. There are things you leave uncertain. Like, are you this "online sellers" competitor? Why is the "online competitor" giving you this information, versus, say, anyone else that asks for it? And, is the "online seller" giving you this information with strings attached (are you agreeing to anything)?
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