TSMC has recently filed a lawsuit against its former Senior Vice President Lo Wei-jen, accusing him of violating non-compete and trade secrets policies by allegedly taking information on 2nm chips to Intel.
Intel has consistently denied the allegations, reiterated on November 27 that it prohibits the illegal transfer of third-party intellectual property, and asserted there is no evidence that Lo had done so.
Media personality Xie Hanbing questioned whether TSMC’s investigation might merely be a staged act, claiming that it was unusual that none of Lo's subordinates would have reported his alleged requests for them to photocopy a large amount of confidential data over several days preceding his departure, even if he was a senior vice president.
Xie said that TSMC's pursuit of the now seventy-five-year-old Lo might have been planned to allow him to take data to the U.S.
Xie questioned whether Lo, who reportedly earned 800 million NT during his extended contract with TSMC, really would want or need a massive bribe from Intel, mentioning that Lo's non-compete clause with TSMC also made the move to Intel peculiar.
Xie added that these technologies are Taiwan's "national treasure," the country's highest level of confidentiality. If Lo's irregular behavior were detected, it should have led to thorough investigations akin to those involving former People's Party Chairman Ke Wenzhe, including searches of his entire household and acquaintances, yet such actions have not occurred. （Related： Google Releases Gemini 3, Draws Industry Attention ｜ Latest ）
