wanted: entertaining examples of industrial espionage!
thus far, i have
--one of the earliest known examples of espionage, agents posing as monks in order to steal silkworms and mulberry leaves, storing them in hollowed staffs. --italians pilfered maps from portuguese captain by sending servants to infiltrate the capt's home --france smashed china's porcelain monopoly by using their daughter's charms to extract trade secrets during pillow talk --Britain's Richard Foley dressed as a wandering minstrel in order to gain access to competitors factories and steal production process secrets.
anyone have other juicy stories?