By JORDAN ROBERTSON

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two men accused of stealing computer chip blueprints -- and trying to tap the Chinese government to help launch a startup built on the contraband -- are becoming the first defendants charged with economic espionage to have their case heard by a jury.

The rare charge of economic espionage involves the theft of trade secrets with the intent to benefit a foreign government. That government doesn't have to be part of the plot for the charge to stick, though authorities say they sometimes suspect foreign officials know about a theft, even if that can't be proved in court.

The outcome of the case against Lan Lee, an American citizen, and Yuefei Ge, a Chinese national, could be a gauge of how seriously the public considers a crime that until now has been handled only by judges.

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