On Thursday, the 27th of this month, the Taiwanese authorities searched the homes of CEO Lu Wei-jin, a former employee of the semiconductor giant TSMC, who is accused of sharing trade secrets with the American company Intel, where he now works.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the world’s largest chipmaker, and its major customers, Nvidia and Apple, are investing billions of dollars in technologies to drive the artificial intelligence (AI) race.
The Taiwanese company, which also makes some of the most advanced semiconductors in the sector, is suing Lu, alleging there is a “substantial possibility” that he shared confidential information with its American rival. Prosecutors are also investigating the executive branch for alleged violations of the national security law.
The Intellectual Property Division of the Taiwan Attorney General’s Office announced on Thursday that it had ordered searches of Lu’s residences in Taipei and Hsinchu County.
“Computers, flash drives and other relevant evidence were seized” during Wednesday’s searches, a statement said.
The plaintiffs also obtained a court order to seize Lo’s “shares and real estate.” The prosecutor’s statement added: “We will investigate this case carefully and seriously, and firmly adhere to the spirit of protecting the country’s key technological trade secrets.”
Lu retired in July as a senior vice president at TSMC and returned to Intel, where he previously worked. On Thursday, the US manufacturer rejected allegations that Lo had shared TSMC trade secrets. /Agence France-Presse