TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese authorities transferred three defendants suspected of leaking Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC, 台積電) 2-nanometer technology trade secrets before the Intellectual Property and Commercial Court (智慧財產及商業法院) Monday (Sept. 1). The High Prosecutors Office's (高檢署) Intellectual Property Branch (智慧財產檢察分署) requested pretrial detention decisions for the accused.
Prosecutors accused former TSMC engineer Chen Li-ming (陳力銘) of leaking sensitive information after joining Tokyo Electron Limited's (東京威力科創股份有限公司) marketing department. Chen allegedly collaborated with current engineers Wu Ping-chun (吳秉駿) and Ko Yi-ping (戈一平) to share TSMC's trade secrets. The alleged goal was helping Tokyo Electron secure supplier status for TSMC's advanced 2-nanometer etching machines.
Investigators revealed that Chen repeatedly solicited technical and business secrets from Wu and Ko between the latter half of 2023 and the first half of 2025. Chen reportedly documented and reproduced these secrets to assist Tokyo Electron in improving its etching machine performance. TSMC discovered anomalies July 8 and launched an internal investigation, suspecting unauthorized access to its secrets.
Prosecutors, supported by the Ministry of Justice's (法務部) Investigation Bureau (調查局), searched and detained Chen, Wu, and Ko between July 25 and July 28. The court approved pretrial detention and communication restrictions for all three defendants. Prosecutors charged the trio under the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法) and other laws Aug. 27, asserting clear evidence of their alleged crimes.
