yes that's illegal just about everywhere and dangerous. better to pot the thing, lined with lead foil to block xrays. if there's anything that uses firmware, storing the firmware on phase change memory is a good idea. soldering or desoldering temperatures erase phase change memory instantly. shaving chips may be useful in some cases, but a good engineer can figure out what a chip is by how it's used, and some larger chips have the manufacturer and part number on the silicon mask, and that can be read with xrays.
when dealing with other businesses as a designer or consultant where your inventiveness can be exploited, always get an NDA, with a provision that your ideas are YOURS. if it's a design you are selling, contract for royalties or sell it outright.... make sure the contract language is clear and unambiguous.