§ 2157. Release of trade secrets

• (a) It shall be unlawful for any member of an Institutional Animal Committee to release any confidential information of the research facility including any information that concerns or relates to—
  • (1) the trade secrets, processes, operations, style of work, or apparatus; or
  • (2) the identity, confidential statistical data, amount or source of any income, profits, losses, or expenditures,
• (b) It shall be unlawful for any member of such Committee—
  • (1) to use or attempt to use to his advantages; or
  • (2) to reveal to any other person,
• (c) A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is punishable by—
  • (1) removal from such Committee; and
  • (2)
    • (A) a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment of not more than one year; or
    • (B) if such violation is willful, a fine of not more than $10,000 and imprisonment of not more than three years.
• (d) Any person, including any research facility, injured in its business or property by reason of a violation of this section may recover all actual and consequential damages sustained by such person and the cost of the suit including a reasonable attorney’s fee.
• (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect any other rights of a person injured in its business or property by reason of a violation of this section. Subsection (d) shall not be construed to limit the exercise of any such rights arising out of or relating to a violation of subsections (a) and (b).