Security News > 2020 > October > After first floating $20bn penalty, DoJ suggests $60m fine for UMC's theft of Micron’s DRAM secrets

After first floating $20bn penalty, DoJ suggests $60m fine for UMC's theft of Micron’s DRAM secrets
2020-10-23 02:58

Taiwanese chip-maker United Microelectronics Corporation will plead guilty to theft of trade secrets from Micron Technologies and pay a $60m fine to the USA. The case was brought in 2018 when the US Department of Justice alleged that UMC and Chinese outfit Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit conspired to steal Micron's DRAM technology, including details of manufacturing processes, in order to start their own DRAM business.

The DoJ acted against UMC under its "Initiative to Combat Chinese Economic Espionage", a Trump administration programme that aims to protect American intellectual property and lets the US government enforce forfeitures and fines.

Documents filed with the court hearing the case on Thursday now reveal that UMC [PDF] and the DoJ [PDF] have struck a deal that will see the Taiwanese company fined $60 million but provide "Substantial assistance" in ongoing investigations.

60m is rather less than the $20billion the DoJ mentioned as a potential fine when it announced the action against UMC and Fujian.

As the filings from both the DoJ and UMC suggest the $60m fine as reasonable, it is likely the court will sign off on that sum.


News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2020/10/23/doj_decides_60m_is_enough/