Corporate espionage is the practice of using espionage techniques for commercial or financial purposes. It’s not illegal to obtain information about competitors via legal means, even if those means are secretive or deceptive. Not all corporate espionage involves private businesses spying on other private businesses. U.S. federal law made stealing commercial secrets (as opposed to classified or national defense information) a federal crime for the first time. It also lays out penalties for corporate espionage, which can run into millions of dollars and years of prison time.”]