Florida Statute 815.4 - Full Text and Legal Analysis

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XLVI
CRIMES

Chapter 815
COMPUTER-RELATED CRIMES

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F.S. 815.04

815.04 Offenses against intellectual property.—

(1) A person who willfully, knowingly, and without authorization introduces a computer contaminant or modifies or renders unavailable data, programs, or supporting documentation residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, computer network, or electronic device commits an offense against intellectual property.

(2) A person who willfully, knowingly, and without authorization destroys data, programs, or supporting documentation residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, computer network, or electronic device commits an offense against intellectual property.

(3) A person who willfully, knowingly, and without authorization discloses or takes data, programs, or supporting documentation that is a trade secret as defined in s. 812.081 or is confidential as provided by law residing or existing internal or external to a computer, computer system, computer network, or electronic device commits an offense against intellectual property.

(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, an offense against intellectual property is a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(b) If the offense is committed for the purpose of devising or executing any scheme or artifice to defraud or to obtain any property, the person commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

History.—s. 1, ch. 78-92; s. 1, ch. 94-100; s. 431, ch. 96-406; s. 1, ch. 2014-177; s. 4, ch. 2014-208; s. 5, ch. 2016-5; s. 20, ch. 2016-6; s. 31, ch. 2022-5.

F.S. 815.04 on Google Scholar

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Amendments to 815.04

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 815.04

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

S815.04 1 - FRAUD - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9698 - F: T

S815.04 1 - PROPERTY CRIMES - TAMPER COMPUTER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - F: T

S815.04 2 - FRAUD - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9699 - F: T

S815.04 2 - PROPERTY CRIMES - DESTROY COMPUTER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - F: T

S815.04 3 - LARC - REPEALED 2022-5 - F: T

S815.04 3 - LARC - VIOLATE TRADE SECRET OR CONFIDENTIAL INFO - F: T

S815.04 3 - EMBEZZLE - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 7723 - F: T

S815.04 4 - EMBEZZLE - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9776 - F: T

S815.04 4b - FRAUD-SWINDLE - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 7724 - F: S

S815.04 4b - FRAUD-SWINDLE - COMPUTER CRIME WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD - F: S

S815.04 5b - FRAUD-SWINDLE - RENUMBERED. SEE REC # 9700 - F: S

Cases Citing Statute 815.04

Total Results: 7

Sepro Corporation v. Florida Department of Environmental Protection

839 So. 2d 781, 2003 WL 291002

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Feb 12, 2003 | Docket: 1707875

Cited 9 times | Published

supporting documentation exempted by section 815.04(3)(a). Section 815.04(3)(a), Florida Statutes (2001),

Newberger v. State

641 So. 2d 419, 1994 WL 390763

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 29, 1994 | Docket: 1152128

Cited 3 times | Published

obtain a credit card. On appeal, he argues that section 815.04, Florida Statutes (1991), which criminalizes

Willoughby v. State

84 So. 3d 1210, 2012 Fla. App. LEXIS 5459, 2012 WL 1192139

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 11, 2012 | Docket: 60306628

Published

section 815.06. Count two charges a violation of section 815.04(3)(b) of the Florida Statutes which states

State v. Fagg

41 So. 3d 394, 2010 Fla. App. LEXIS 11099, 2010 WL 3000037

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 30, 2010 | Docket: 1164132

Published

constituted the destruction of data pursuant to section 815.04(2), Florida Statutes, which provides that "[w]hoever

Garcia v. State

939 So. 2d 1082, 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 13260, 2006 WL 2270347

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 9, 2006 | Docket: 64847327

Published

(Emphasis added). The offense is a felony. See id. § 815.04(4)(b). This statute addresses what is colloquially

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Dec 31, 1997 | Docket: 3255814

Published

department are not exempt from disclosure under section 815.04(3), Florida Statutes, merely because they are

Ago

Florida Attorney General Reports | Filed: Sep 18, 1995 | Docket: 3256254

Published

of chapter 94-100, the Legislature amended section 815.04, Florida Statutes, to create a public records