Taiwan Widens Probe Into Ex-TSMC Executive Accused of Trade Secret Leak

Prosecutors said they executed search warrants on Wednesday at two residences linked to Wei-Jen Lo, formerly a senior vice president at TSMC, per Reuters. Computers, USB drives and other storage devices were seized as part of the probe, which falls under Taiwan’s National Security Act. A court has also granted a request to freeze Lo’s property holdings, including shares and real estate, prosecutors added.

TSMC, the world’s leading contract chip manufacturer and a key supplier to major technology firms such as Nvidia, filed a lawsuit earlier this week in Taiwan’s Intellectual Property and Commercial Court. The company asserted that “there is a high probability that Lo uses, leaks, discloses or transfers TSMC’s trade secrets and confidential information to Intel, thus making legal actions necessary.”

Lo joined Intel in October after retiring from TSMC, where he spent more than two decades helping advance mass production of cutting-edge chip nodes such as 5-nanometre, 3-nm and 2-nm technology. Before his long tenure at the Taiwanese company, he had worked at Intel for 18 years.

Intel pushed back strongly on the allegations earlier Thursday. “Based on everything we know, we have no reason to believe there is any merit to the allegations involving Mr Lo,” the company said in an emailed statement. Intel emphasized its “rigorous policies and controls that strictly prohibit the use or transfer of any third-party confidential information or intellectual property,” adding, “We take these commitments seriously.”

The U.S. firm also noted that Lo is respected throughout the semiconductor sector for “his integrity, leadership and technical expertise,” describing the movement of skilled workers across the industry as normal and healthy.

Source: Reuters