Problems Facing Bugs, Inc - Essay Example

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which administers the rights of inventors, has given further safeguards. “The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest” (wipo.int, n.d). In the case of BUG, Inc, the new copyright treaty signed in 1996, provides the needed copyright protection for its software. With this safe protection, BUG will be able to expand its reach and sales internationally. That is, the intellectual property rights will minimize the risk of other companies pirating the BUG’s software and using it. So, the protection of its software is one of the important legal protections, BUG should have for its intellectual property.

Steve is the ‘proxy’ employee or spy of WIRETAP who worked in BUG to steal BUG’s important secrets and files. Steve did that by forwarding the BUG e-mails; he received or hacked, to WIRETAP, including the e-mail correspondence between BUG’s officers. For this crime, Steve can be charged under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. As this act covers and bars stealing and trading of a company’s secrets and details through computers and the internet, Steve can be accused of violating it. Likewise, WIRETAP, Inc. could also be charged under the same Economic Espionage Act, for their role in the stealing of a company’s classified documents using computers and the internet. So, both the parties in the crime, Steve and WIRETAP can be charged under the civil liability of the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 “The Espionage Act is a very important weapon to address and penalize computer and Internet espionage” (Cheeseman, 2004). RICO Act, short for Racketeering and Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, can also be used against Steve as well as WIRETAP for the losses, they caused to BUG. To be charged under RICO, the BUG’s attorney should first prove that Steve’s hacking and interception of email messages and redirecting them to WIRETAP, violated RICO sections that deal with mail fraud. Also, BUG’s attorney needs to prove that Steve committed more than a single illegal act. For that, it should be proved that Steve maintained contact with his superiors at WIRETAP on multiple occasions. Finally, BUG has to prove that it suffered economic damages as a direct result of Steve’s spying or criminal actions. The damages BUG could receive or civil liability it is entitled to could be in the range of treble the number of damages.