TSMC has filed lawsuits against several former employees it claims leaked trade secrets. Specifically, information and sensitive details of its 2nm technology.
“TSMC maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward any actions that compromise the protection of trade secrets or harm the company’s interests,” the company said. “Such violations are dealt with strictly and pursued to the fullest extent of the law. We remain committed to safeguarding our core competitiveness and the shared interests of all our employees.”
TSMC declined to specify the exact technology involved. As pointed out by Nikkei Asia, the foundry’s 2nm chip technology is slated to enter mass production this year, beating many of its competitors to the punch by being one of the world’s advanced technologies in the sector.
Nikkei also managed to confirm that TSMC’s case falls under Taiwan’s National Security Act of 2022. As such, the former employees being taken to court could face up to 12 years in prison if convicted, and a fine of up to NT$100 million (~RM13.95 million).
“This case originated when TSMC proactively detected unusual access patterns in the files of a current employee,” said the prosecutor’s office in the case. “Following an internal investigation, TSMC discovered that its national core technology trade secrets had been allegedly illicitly obtained by a former employee in collusion with current employees.”
