On November 25, global semiconductor giant TSMC officially filed a lawsuit against its former senior vice president, Luo Weiren, accusing him of potentially leaking trade secrets to rival Intel. In a statement, TSMC stated that Luo joined Intel without prior notice after retiring in July, posing a high risk of leaking TSMC's trade secrets and confidential information. Therefore, TSMC is taking legal action (including breach of contract damages) to protect its rights.
In response to this accusation, Intel quickly issued a statement on November 26, explicitly denying any involvement in the leak. The company statement emphasized its strict prohibition against using or transferring confidential information from third parties, stating that "the information currently available indicates that Luo Weiren's accusations are baseless." It is worth noting that the 75-year-old Luo Weiren is a veteran expert in the semiconductor industry, having worked at Intel for a long time before joining TSMC as a senior executive.
According to Taiwanese media LTN, after returning to Intel as vice president of research and development, Luo Weiren is suspected of carrying more than 20 boxes of confidential documents, the contents of which involve TSMC's advanced process technologies such as 2nm and 1.4nm. This detail has exacerbated TSMC's concerns, with its legal documents specifically mentioning that Luo Weiren may have provided trade secrets to Intel through means such as "use, disclosure, notification, delivery, or transfer."
This lawsuit highlights the fierce competition in the semiconductor industry. As the world's largest chip foundry, TSMC's advanced process technology is its core competitive advantage; while Intel is accelerating its catch-up, planning to mass-produce 2-nanometer chips by 2025. If the allegations of leaking trade secrets are substantiated, it could cause industry-wide shocks and affect business cooperation between the two companies. The case is currently in judicial proceedings, and its subsequent developments will be closely watched by the industry.
