Taiwan Prosecutors Charge 3 People for Allegedly Stealing TSMC Trade Secrets

The alleged theft poses a threat to the Taiwanese semiconductor industry’s global competitiveness, prosecutors say.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) logo brands the headquarters in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on Oct. 20, 2021. Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Local prosecutors have indicted three individuals for allegedly stealing trade secrets from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TSMC) to help a Japanese equipment supplier secure more orders from the world’s largest contract chipmaker.

The three defendants, who were arrested earlier this month, were charged under the National Security Act and the Trade Secrets Act, the High Prosecutors’ Office’s Intellectual Property Branch announced in an Aug. 27 press release.