We unquestionably live in the Information Age, a time when information is a key commodity that, whether traded domestically or in foreign markets, represents an ever-increasing portion of our national economy. This evolution in our economy was ushered in by the advent of, and continues to be fueled by, the computer. Computers enable us to collect and to store vastly greater quantities of information than ever before: Data aggregators (such as ChoicePoint), banks, and credit bureaus amass detailed profiles on the financial histories of individuals; businesses rely on mainframe computers to store terabytes of data, which may contain their trade secrets, business strategies, or personnel records; and Americans each store gigabytes of information on their home computers ranging from tax filings to address books to diaries.
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