On 16 june, a case was disclosed by the "secretism" micro-mail public。
The figures are impressive: 14 persons received sentences ranging from six to one year, with fines ranging from 3 to 200,000, totalling 13. 5 million. The licence fee valuation for the technical information involved - $317 million。
This is not a normal case of commercial secrecy. This is one of the largest cases of intellectual property abuse in china in recent years in the semiconductor industry and the largest number of people sentenced to death。
I. Technical directors with an annual salary of $6 million chose another path
Zhang yi, head of the chip development department of a company in haramoto。
More precisely, he's the technical director of a maritime company with an annual salary of $6 million, a united states national. In february 2021, zhang left the company. He did not choose to work in another chip company - he registered his own company。
Zhu zhuong science and technology ltd., founded in march 2021. A company in shanghai was subsequently established. Main business of the two companies: development and development of a wi-fi 6 chip of the same type as the sea。
The problem is that chip development is not something you can live with. A radio-frequency chip is produced from line to mass, with a normal cycle of two to three years, with hundreds of millions of dollars invested. Zhang chi obviously doesn't want to go this way。
He chose the other one: "moving" the old stuff。
Ii. From digging people to moving them - a complete chain of theft
Starting with the preparatory phase of the company, zhang chiu started pulling people. It's not open recruitment from the market, it's directed digging — it's the team he's led。
Four men on monday, was his first target. The four were also in a position in the sea and were joined by zhang with high salaries and equity. Five people sat down to aggregate: directly develop the same type of chip as the original company。
"a shorter research and development cycle" - the wording of the judgment. Translating into people's words is not taking the long and expensive road of self-development。
Next is the second round of expansion。
Four of zhang's officers on a weekly basis continue to recruit serving staff from sea. Seven members from the higher class joined. The seven individuals were well aware that there was strict confidentiality measures for technical information in haiichi, that confidentiality agreements had been signed, that confidentiality training had been conducted and that mobile phones were prohibited in the office area。
But they did。
Some copy the core technical files with a copy, screen and so forth prior to their departure; some collude with their serving colleagues and transmit data internally。
There are two more special - zhao and slaughter. They didn't leave, they're still in the sea, but they've delivered the technical information。
Three, "replicate paste" research. It's fast
Ultimately, the technical information obtained illegally by a group is more than 90 per cent identical to that of a commercial secret in the sea. To be honest, one of the chips made, the core technology is almost identical。
It's "replicate paste" research, really fast。
Your product was developed within a short period of time, and you received several hundred million yuan in financing from a group, a capital institution, etc., to be selected for a potential unicorn enterprise in jiangsu province in 2023。
But the price is fast。
In april 2023, the shanghai police took over the network simultaneously in kisou. Seven servers to store tort technology were seized, freezing a certain amount of $9. 965 million。
Iv. Ex post facto destruction of evidence - not only useless but also increased sentence
More interesting is after。
Looks like the company is about to sue. He instructed the team to remove the classified data from the server, to replace and destroy the hard drive, and to force staff to sign an exemption commitment — an attempt to erase all traces。
The court later found that these acts were evidence of malicious concealment and were taken into account as aggravating circumstances of a subjective nature。
None of the five or 14 persons sentenced to imprisonment
On 28 july 2025, the third intermediate people's court of shanghai decided in first instance。
All 14 persons committed crimes against trade secrets. Five of them were sentenced to sentences ranging from three to six years. Zhang himself was fined $3 million for six years and was prohibited from working in the chip industry for five years。
Fourteen persons did not appeal within 10 days. The first instance judgement became effective。
Vi. Three references for the case
First, the degree of "organizationalization" that's stolen
It is not a staff member who takes several documents by hand when he or she leaves office — it is a former executive who takes the lead, digs in stages, divides, pulls people, transfers data and “indigestion” technology at a new company. It's a complete chain of theft。
Second, the "show" mode of engagement
Many of the individuals involved have been able to obtain technical information from one of the sea by means of screen-screening, copy-taking, etc., as "the chips" for joining the new team prior to entering the post. Preparations for the theft began during the working period。
Thirdly, it doesn't work
The removal of data, the destruction of hard drives, and the signing of waivers of liability - not only are these operations not exonerated before the law, but they increase the sentence。
Article 219 of the penal code makes it clear that the offence of violating commercial secrets is punishable by imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years in serious cases and by imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years in particularly serious cases. The case was valued at $317 million, well above the threshold of “extra-serious”。
You don't look good after a company. Added to the list of operational anomalies, a new bankruptcy review case was introduced in april 2026, restricting high consumption。
A "potential unicorn" once admired by capital, from inception to collapse, less than five years ago。
Technology can be stolen and companies can copy, but nothing is missing from the law's books. Fourteen, none escaped。
