Makes it harder to prove their case then
You can't fault someone for leaking a trade secret if it's not true. You also can't claim you didn't want the information leaked if it was an intentional falsehood designed to identify leaks.
If your characterization is correct, it seems like a decent practice to identify leaks. It seems like a terrible basis for prosecution.
And as for negative reinforcement, the defendant in this case isn't the leak. If they are pursuing litigation as a punishment, that's the very definition of a SLAPP case.
