NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan (AP) — A court in Taiwan sentenced a former employee of Japanese computer chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron to 10 years in prison on Monday in a landmark case over trade secrets of the island’s leading chipmaker TSMC.

Tokyo Electron was also fined 150 million new Taiwan dollars ($5 million) and four other people were sentenced to up to six years in jail.

kAm%96 962GJ D6?E6?4:?8 F?56C %2:H2?’D ?2E:@?2= D64FC:EJ 24E 2?5 @E96C DE2EFE6D F?56CD4@C6D %2:H2?VD 677@CED E@ AC@E64E E96 D6=7\CF=65 :D=2?5’D 25G2?465 E649?@=@8J 2?5 D6>:4@?5F4E@C D64E@C[ H9:49 2C6 G:E2= 7@C :ED 6IA@CE\@C:6?E65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E2:H2?\ECF>A\E2C:77D\64@?@>J\2:\ED>4\fdaf35c37b_gh435a523`4db_66e`4b6Qm64@?@>Jk^2m 2D 2CE:7:4:2= :?E6==:86?46 3@@>D]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D6>:4@?5F4E@CD\49:AD\ED>4\E2:H2?\ECF>A\aab`7a62ee3feg2gab`3535ggeb5ce76Qm%$|rk^2m[ @C %2:H2? $6>:4@?5F4E@C |2?F724EFC:?8 r@CA][ 😀 @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5’D >@DE G2=F23=6 4@>A2?:6D 2?5 4@F?ED }G:5:2 2?5 pAA=6 2D <6J 4FDE@>6CD]k^Am

kAmx? 92?5:?8 5@H? E96 `_\J62C D6?E6?46 2E %2:H2?’D x?E6==64EF2= !C@A6CEJ 2?5 r@>>6C4:2= r@FCE[ yF586 r92?8 |:?8\9F2?8 D2:5 r96? {:\>:?8[ H9@ H@C<65 2E %$|r 367@C6 >@G:?8 E@ %@6C %$|r 4@==628F6D E@ :==682==J 2446DD 2?5 4@==64E E96 49:A >2<6CVD EC256 D64C6ED]k^Am

kAmr96? A9@E@8C2A965[ 4@A:65 2?5 A2DD65 2=@?8 E96 >2E6C:2=D E@ 96=A %@AC@G6 :ED 3:5D 2D 2 %$|r DFAA=:6C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 4@FCE]k^Am

kAmr96?VD >@E:G2E:@? H2D >2:?=J E@ “:>AC@G6 9:D A6CD@?2= H@C< A6C7@C>2?46[” r92?8 D2:5[ 3FE 96 ;6@A2C5:K65 E96 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD 2?5 64@?@>:4 D64FC:EJ @7 %2:H2? 2?5 :ED 49:A>2<:?8 :?5FDECJ]k^Am

kAm%$|r 5:5 ?@E :>>65:2E6=J 4@>>6?E @? |@?52J’D CF=:?8]k^Am

kAm%2:H2?’D AC@D64FE@CD :?5:4E65 r96? 2?5 @E96CD 😕 pF8FDE @? 2==6865 EC256 D64C6E E967E] %@6?E 2E E96 E:>6 :E 925 5:D>:DD65 2? 6>A=@J66 :?G@=G65 😕 E96 42D6 3FE 2=D@ D2:5 :ED :?E6C?2= :?G6DE:82E:@? 925 ?@E 4@?7:C>65 6G:56?46 @7 E96 E92E 4@?7:56?E:2= :?7@C>2E:@? H2D =62<65]k^Am

kAm%96 y2A2?6D6 4@>A2?J D2:5 |@?52J E92E :E E2<6D “E96 4@FCE’D 7:?5:?8 H:E9 E96 FE>@DE D6C:@FD?6DD” 2?5 H:== DEC6?8E96? :ED Q:?7@C>2E:@? >2?286>6?E DJDE6>D 2?5 @E96C C6=6G2?E >62DFC6D]” qFE :E DEC6DD65 E92E E96 4@FCE 2?5 :ED @H? AC@36 925 ?@E 7@F?5 2?J @C82?:K2E:@?2= :?G@=G6>6?E 3J %@

k9C ^m

kAmr92? C6A@CE65 7C@> w@?8 z@?8]k^Am


Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.