Monday, December 23, 2024

Ex-SK hynix worker will get jail time period after stealing firm secrets and techniques earlier than becoming a member of Huawei

South Korean semiconductor firm SK hynix is understood for its dynamic random-access reminiscence (DRAM) and flash reminiscence chips. This can be a vertically built-in firm which signifies that SK hynix not solely designs its personal chips, it manufactures them too. Clearly, there are firms that might like to be taught the corporate’s commerce secrets and techniques; in keeping with The Korean Bizwire a former feminine SK hynix worker was sentenced to 18 months in jail and fined the equal of $14,300 after being discovered responsible of breaking South Korean legal guidelines.

The previous SK hynix worker reportedly stole know-how associated to semiconductor manufacturing and ended up leaving the South Korean firm to affix Huawei in 2020. She was already working in China for SK hynix on the time of her departure and her job gave her entry to paperwork associated to the manufacturing of chips. Earlier than leaving SK hynix, she printed 4,000 paperwork of significance over 4 days.

These paperwork contained data thought of to be core know-how below South Korean regulation. To keep away from detection, she printed about 300 pages per day and hid them in her backpack and buying luggage. Throughout her trial, she instructed the court docket that she made these copies to assist her examine the know-how and to ensure that her departure to Huawei would lead to a easy handover of knowledge.

After listening to her excuses, the Yeoju department of the Suwon District Courtroom nonetheless dominated that her actions violated South Korea’s Industrial Know-how Safety Act. The court docket dominated her conduct suspicious since she printed the paperwork simply earlier than leaving SK hynix and accepting Huawei’s supply in June 2022. The court docket felt that she had printed the paperwork to extend her price to Huawei. In making its choice, the court docket dominated that the safety at SK hynix’s Shanghai manufacturing unit was lower than snuff.

Regardless of discovering her responsible, the court docket couldn’t discover proof that Huawei used the stolen data which saved the court docket from imposing a harsher sentence. Moreover, the court docket couldn’t discover that SK hynix had been harmed from the incident. This might be one other notch on the belt for many who think about Huawei to be a foul actor on the worldwide stage. 

The corporate is already often called a nationwide safety menace within the U.S. In consequence, it has been positioned on the U.S. entity listing stopping it from coping with its U.S. provide chain. Export guidelines forestall foundries that use American know-how to ship cutting-edge chips to Huawei.

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