Two men who stole trade secrets from Coca-Cola and sought to sell them to Pepsi have pleaded guilty in the case.
Ibrahim Dimson and Edmund Duhaney were charged along with another former Coke employee, Joya Williams, on counts covering wire fraud and stealing and selling trade secrets.
With their guilty pleas, Messrs. Dimson and Duhaney could each get up to 10 years in prison and be required to pay a fine up to $250,000.
The case came to light when Pepsi-Cola provided Coke with a copy of a letter offering to turn over confidential information. Coca-Cola then took the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Discussion Questions: Where is the distinction drawn between legal competitive business intelligence activities and illegal corporate espionage? What role does getting information on competitors' businesses play in the operation of retail and consumer goods industries today?