Taiwan investigates BASF employees over trade secrets theft
Taiwanese authorities are investigating six current and former employees of German chemical company BASF who are accused of leaking company secrets to a Chinese rival.
Five employees have been detained and one granted bail, Reuters yesterday, January 7. No charges have yet been filed.
A senior manager of the company is suspected of selling confidential information concerning electronic manufacturing processes and technology to Chinese company Jiangyin Jianghua Microelectronics Materials, the report said.
Lu Sung Hao, director of Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Board, said that the Chinese company had offered RMB40 million ($5.8 million) in exchange for the information.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Jianghua Micro told WIPR that the company “has not received any official letter of allegation” and that the company has never paid in any currency to purchase data.
In a BASF said that one current employee is under investigation by Taiwanese authorities. The employee has now been suspended. “We have taken immediate steps to support the investigation led by local law enforcement officials and protect the relevant information,” the statement said.
The press release added that “BASF is committed to investing in, and protecting, intellectual property resulting from research and development as well as production know-how both by BASF and our customers”.
The news comes amid growing concern in the US regarding the alleged theft of IP and trade secrets by Chinese companies. In November 2018, WIPR reported that the US Department of Justice had charged ten Chinese nationals with the theft of trade secrets from American and European companies.
China recently announced new measures seeking to crack down on IP infringement and theft in the country. In December, WIPR reported that China was to implement nearly 40 new punishments for those found liable for IP breaches.
The Chinese government has rejected US allegations that it has sponsored a “global espionage campaign” aimed at stealing IP.
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