Taiwan prosecutors claim Chinese biz swiped IP and R&D team from Apple supplier

The New Taipei District Prosecutor's Office has alleged that a Chinese company hired local employees of a company that supplies parts to Apple, then bid for work with the iGiant. A Friday press release alleges a Chinese company named Luxshare Precision Industry Co. hired staff from Taiwan Kecheng Technology Co., Ltd. Kecheng …

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently what is in your head is not yours, and you can't use that experience that is so important when they want to hire you, when someone else will pay more.

Capitalism is just feudalism by another name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Of course you can use your experience - you can't use your previous company blueprints...

[OhForF']

If a company developed a method to do something other's can't do (as efficient) but does not publish and file a patent and instead decides to try and keep it secret can people from that company R&D legally use their knowledge of that method at their next employer?

According to the article they hired a big part of the R&D team - in this case you wouldn't need blueprints but just set that team to re-design the same thing they already got to work in the previous company.

They will probably come up with improved blueprints when doing it the 2nd time.

[James 51]

There's usually a clause in such contracts that the IP you develop belongs to the company so patent or not, you couldn't use the same processes or designs at your new employer. You might find that the second company is making the product at the same cost or even more expensive but they don't have R&D costs to mitigate so can charge less.

[Anonymous Coward]

"decides to try and keep it secret"

It's a "trade secret", it is protect by existing laws, and you may be bound not to disclose it by your contract - which is legally enforceable even after you leave the job. If you recreate the same product from memory, you can be liable anyway.

[cosmodrome]

Re: "decides to try and keep it secret"

I am not convinced that Chinese IP laws are identical to recent US legislation.

[Anonymous Coward]

If

If this were a US companies buying another company's (US or otherwise) talent, It would be seen as a legitimate standard operating practice. Non-compete clauses are increasingly being successfully challenged.

If this didn't involve China it wouldn't even merit a comment. As far as Apple is concerned, parts is parts. Nearly half of all of Apple's suppliers are in China. They get a free ride from the US and China in the sanctions war.

[amanfromMars 1]

WTF SNAFUBAR

"It means that if you are involved in cutting-edge tech, AI, advanced research or product development, the chances are your know-how is of material interest to the Chinese Communist Party," McCallum said.

No shit, Sherlock .... so everything there is quite normal and practically identical to parties trawling for unfair competitive anti-social advantage in the West. And that’s feared in the West? Crikey, now there’s a novel anomaly or is that an hypocrisy?

[Nifty]

"A Chinese company named Luxshare Precision Industry Co. hired staff from Taiwan Kecheng Technology Co"

I misread that as 'Taiwan Kerching Technology Co'.

[aldolo]

the target should be apple

....asking not buy from the offending company