TSMC Trade Secret Theft: A Former Employee Faces 14 Years in Prison
Taiwanese prosecutors have filed charges against three individuals in a case involving the theft of TSMC trade secrets. Among the accused is a former TSMC employee, identified as Chen, who, after joining Japan’s Tokyo Electron, allegedly sought to obtain confidential information from his former colleagues.
According to investigators, the suspects intended to use the stolen data to help Tokyo Electron secure contracts for supplying equipment used in TSMC’s 2-nanometer process technology.
Tokyo Electron is a major manufacturer of semiconductor fabrication equipment, providing systems for film deposition and etching. Earlier this month, the company dismissed the employee implicated in the case.
Tokyo Electron representatives stated that an internal investigation found no evidence of management’s involvement in the incident. The company reported no instructions or encouragement to illegally acquire information, nor any leaks of confidential data to third parties.
Prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison sentence for Chen on charges of violating Taiwan’s trade secrets and national security laws.
This case marks the first to be tried under Taiwan’s National Security Act in connection with the theft of critical technologies.
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