Prosecutors in Taiwan have charged a former TSMC worker with stealing the chipmaking big’s “core” know-how and making an attempt to leak it to China.
The person surnamed Chen has been charged with offences beneath the Nationwide Safety Act and the Commerce Secrets and techniques Act, the Taiwan Excessive Prosecutors Workplace’s Mental Property Department stated Monday, hailing it as the primary such case on the island.
Chen was working as a deputy supervisor at TSMC between Could 2023 and February 2024 when he allegedly conspired with a Chinese language man to arrange a chip firm in China, prosecutors stated.
They supposed to poach Taiwanese expertise from the semiconductor business after which have them “infiltrate Taiwan’s semiconductor business and channel know-how again” to the Chinese language firm.
That may steadily erode “Taiwan’s main aggressive place” within the international chip business, prosecutors stated.
To show his experience to Chinese language monetary backers and technical specialists, Chen allegedly copied 21 TSMC paperwork containing the corporate’s “nationwide safety and normal commerce secrets and techniques”.
Chen allegedly took the paperwork residence to check with the intention of utilizing them in China, however TSMC found “irregularities” and launched an investigation.
After analysing digital data and bodily proof, prosecutors stated they “decided that the proof of Chen’s crimes was clear”.
Prosecutors stated they’re in search of a seven-year jail time period for Chen, in Taiwan’s “first-ever indictment for tried switch of nationwide core important know-how commerce secrets and techniques” to China.
Chen’s alleged co-conspirator died earlier than he may very well be prosecuted, they stated.
