2026 NEW IEEE STANDARDS
TEC OEM

1. Protection Against Foreign Theft & Trade Secret Espionage

The Economic Espionage Act (EEA) of 1996: This is the primary federal law that criminalizes the theft of trade secrets. It has two main components:
- Section 1831: Criminalizes the theft of trade secrets to benefit foreign governments or instruments (Foreign Economic Espionage).
- Section 1832: Criminalizes commercial theft for economic or domestic purposes.
The Protecting American Intellectual Property (PAIP) Act of 2022: A critical recent law that mandates strict economic sanctions (including property-blocking and inclusion on federal restriction lists) against any foreign individual or entity known to have stolen U.S. trade secrets.
Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA): Gives companies the right to sue in federal court for trade secret misappropriation, providing a civil path to get injunctions and damages against both domestic and foreign actors.

2. Trade Controls & Inbound Investment Security

CFIUS (Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States): An interagency committee that reviews foreign investments or acquisitions of U.S. businesses. CFIUS heavily scrutinizes foreign capital involving TID businesses (Technology, Infrastructure, and Data)—which directly covers advanced energy hardware, critical infrastructure, and data centers.
Export Control Regulations (EAR & ITAR): * EAR (Export Administration Regulations): Administered by the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), controlling “dual-use” commercial technologies (like advanced computing, AI components, and specialized power systems).
- ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations): If any power or water generation system is ruggedized or custom-built for defense/military applications, it falls under strict Department of State controls.