Over here it would be a civil matter........it is breach of contract.........NOT even fraud, as there was no deception.

If I subscribe to a data service, I get information?

NOT source code?
NOT trade secrets?

The whole case is spurious and did not belong in a criminal court.

Over here, the Director Of Public Prosecutions would have laughed in their faces. I am confident that in court they would be told to "grow up , piss off, and pay the costs as you are leaving" but it would not have got to court.

It WAS (presumably) breach of contract, and that is what they should have gone for. It (password sharing) is somewhat similar to buying a single user copy of software and using it CONCURRENTLY on several machines?

All the rival company did, was look at the service provided by its competitor. The people who supplied the access were technically wrong, they should have had one of their employees do it, or employed the competitors as "consultants".

Reading between the lines, they were not happy with their current supplier, called in the opposition, showed them their current service then changed suppliers...............? It is called fair competition in a free market IMHO. If you are afraid of your competition seeing the product you are offering, then you don't belong in business.

I would call it a loser's "sour grapes"

The lesson is to read your TOC's...........if the product is not available to yourself, your employees, and your agents ...............buy something different? HINT: when a rival supplier is acting on your behalf, they are your "agents", just like any other contractor.

Just my thoughts