Trade-secret fights can be AUCL civil or Criminal Law — the criminal track means PSB, detention risk and a different evidence tempo.
Infringing trade secrets can proceed under Anti-Unfair Competition Law and, where Criminal Law thresholds and elements are met, as a criminal case. Employers chase departing engineers; suspects face detention for downloads and WeChat files. The IP practice wiki already covers criminal liability for trade-secret theft — this criminal-cluster page is the defense/procedure overlay and cross-link, not a second IP related guide. Employee-theft and evidence wikis stay on the IP side. Internal holds still matter before anyone ‘clears their phone’.
4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Civil AUCL or criminal file?
Which track.
TrackWhat is the secret and the measure?
Secrecy proof.
SecretCustody risk for the employee?
Detention pages.
CustodyIP wiki already open?
Cross-link.
IPWorking rule: Map the regulated role before marketing or launch in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Why two wiki URLs?
One nests under IP enforcement; this one nests under criminal defense for the custody/charge overlay. Cross-read both.
Where is employee theft civil/IP detail?
Employee trade secret theft in china and related IP wikis.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.