AIP Wire Desk. WASHINGTON DC — The U.S. Department of State announced sanctions against one individual and two entities under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA), marking the first designations under the law. The action was taken in coordination with concurrent sanctions by the Department of the Treasury.
In a press statement, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott said the measures target those connected to the theft of trade secrets from U.S. persons. Officials described intellectual property theft—particularly involving sensitive and emerging technologies—as a serious threat to U.S. national security and economic prosperity, costing American industry billions of dollars annually.
The sanctions coincide with a Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation involving Australian national Peter Williams. Williams pleaded guilty on October 29, 2025, to two counts of theft of trade secrets. According to U.S. authorities, he stole proprietary cyber tools from a U.S. company between 2022 and 2025 and sold them to an entity known as Operation Zero in exchange for millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
The administration said it remains committed to using all available legal authorities to combat intellectual property theft and cybercrime, which officials say threaten economic stability and national security.
The action was taken pursuant to authorities under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (50 U.S.C. 1709) and Executive Order 13694, as amended. Additional details are available in official statements from the Departments of State and Treasury.
