What is the term used for acquiring information through illegal methods for commercial purposes?

The correct term for acquiring information through illegal methods for commercial purposes is corporate espionage. This practice involves unlawful activities that organizations engage in to gain confidential or proprietary information from their competitors. It is often carried out through tactics such as bribery, hacking, infiltration, or theft of trade secrets, with the intent of gaining a business advantage.

While competitive intelligence involves gathering information about competitors in a legal and ethical manner to inform business strategies, corporate espionage crosses the line into illegal activity. Technical surveillance refers to the use of devices to monitor or collect information from a distance, which may or may not be legal depending on the methods and context. Market research, on the other hand, is a legitimate practice involving the collection of data about consumers and market conditions to guide business decisions, without infringing on laws or ethical boundaries. Hence, corporate espionage is the term that accurately captures the illegal acquisition of information for commercial gain.