Louisiana Theft of a Business Record Law

A.  Theft of a business record is the misappropriation or taking of a business record or the information contained therein belonging to another by any person either without the consent of the other to the misappropriation or taking, or by means of fraudulent conduct, practices, or representations.  An intent to deprive the other permanently of the business record or the information contained therein is essential and may be inferred when a person misappropriates, takes, or converts the business record for his own use or for the use of another for economic gain.

B.  For purposes of this Section, "business record" means any record belonging to another, whether or not maintained or compiled by the person who misappropriates or takes the record, which complies with the following:

(1)  Is material to the conduct of the business of the owner of the business record.

(2)  Is not available to the public in accordance with state or federal law.

(3)  Is susceptible to use by another, which if used, would have an adverse material effect upon the overall business of the owner of the business record.

(4)  Is defined as a "trade secret" pursuant to R.S. 51:1431 or R.S. 9:3576.24.

(5)  Is of such a nature that the replacement, reconstruction, or compilation of the information, or the loss of the record or the information contained therein, will have an adverse material effect upon the overall business of the owner of the business record.

C.  Whoever commits the crime of theft of a business record shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years or fined not more than ten thousand dollars or the cost of replacement, reconstruction, or compilation of the business record, whichever is greater, or both.