Semiwiki on LinkedIn Semiwiki on Facebook Semiwiki on Twitter Register / Log in 
Array
(
    [content] => 
    [params] => Array
        (
            [0] => /forum/threads/wei-jen-lo-suspected-of-taking-trade-secrets-to-intel.24040/page-2
        )

    [addOns] => Array
        (
            [DL6/MLTP] => 13
            [Hampel/TimeZoneDebug] => 1000070
            [SV/ChangePostDate] => 2010200
            [SemiWiki/Newsletter] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/WPMenu] => 1000010
            [SemiWiki/XPressExtend] => 1000010
            [ThemeHouse/XLink] => 1000970
            [ThemeHouse/XPress] => 1010570
            [XF] => 2030770
            [XFI] => 1060170
        )

    [wordpress] => /var/www/html
)

Wei-Jen Lo Suspected of Taking Trade Secrets to Intel

Fred Chen said:
www.trendforce.com

[News] Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Denies Allegations That Former TSMC Exec Brought Trade Secrets In

With speculation mounting that former TSMC SVP Wei-Jen Lo may have taken key materials to Intel, the company’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan has spoken out in respon...
www.trendforce.com www.trendforce.com
Click to expand...

One correction:

"Notably, Liberty Times reports that TSMC accused Liang of leaking trade secrets after helping Samsung jump to 14nm and win Apple processor orders. The legal battle lasted nearly four years, ending with Taiwan’s Supreme Court ruling in TSMC’s favor—barring Liang from working at Samsung until December 31, 2015, and forbidding him from sharing TSMC trade secrets or R&D staff names, the report adds."

This is not true. TSMC 16nm was late in ramping to HVM and could not fulfill Apples A9 (iPhone 6s) requirements so Apple used Samsung 14nm and TSMC 16nm until TSMC was able to ship enough wafers. The A9X was 100% TSMC 16nm.

This was the infamous Chip Gate scandal. There was an ap that told you if the phone had TSMC or Samsung silicon. People were returning Samsung based phones in the US. I had a TSMC based iPhone 6s and loved it.

www.cultofmac.com

Chipgate FAQ: Everything you need to know about iPhone 6s controversy

If you're confused about the so-called 'Chipgate' controversy swirling around the Internet today, we're here to help. It just wouldn't be an iPhone launch
www.cultofmac.com www.cultofmac.com
 
Liang Mong Song left tsmc extremely angry and bitter. It's understandable the theatrical events of him joining Samsung and "stealing" tsmc IP (it's imprinted in his heads and probably hard to erase). He was looking for revenge and wasn't hesitating to utilize any weapons to help him beat tsmc.

However it's puzzling to me why tsmc later on had the Chiang Shang-yi and SMIC saga. Chiang was a well respected top executive techie, why did tsmc let him join the communist smic and risk having smic potentially catching up with tsmc? (all smic need is know-how, financial support and risk-bearing is unlimited). Was tsmc mgmt looking for "competitor" to propel its own engineers?

And now another top executive techie Dr Lo, going to customer/partner/peer Intel? why tsmc also haven't said a word about it, just like Intel? It's puzzling.

Is it really true/possible that such industry giants CC Wei, Mark Liu making this kind of low level "oh we didn't know he was re-joining XYZ" same mistake for the THIRD time? Could there be some other stories behind this story?? :). Why would Dr. Lo making such seems-silly mistakes tarnishing his name? Who will benefit the most in spreading this rumor to divide tsmc/Intel, Taiwan/US?
 
Jert said:
Liang Mong Song left tsmc extremely angry and bitter. It's understandable the theatrical events of him joining Samsung and "stealing" tsmc IP (it's imprinted in his heads and probably hard to erase). He was looking for revenge and wasn't hesitating to utilize any weapons to help him beat tsmc.

However it's puzzling to me why tsmc later on had the Chiang Shang-yi and SMIC saga. Chiang was a well respected top executive techie, why did tsmc let him join the communist smic and risk having smic potentially catching up with tsmc? (all smic need is know-how, financial support and risk-bearing is unlimited). Was tsmc mgmt looking for "competitor" to propel its own engineers?

And now another top executive techie Dr Lo, going to customer/partner/peer Intel? why tsmc also haven't said a word about it, just like Intel? It's puzzling.

Is it really true/possible that such industry giants CC Wei, Mark Liu making this kind of low level "oh we didn't know he was re-joining XYZ" same mistake for the THIRD time? Could there be some other stories behind this story?? :). Why would Dr. Lo making such seems-silly mistakes tarnishing his name? Who will benefit the most in spreading this rumor to divide tsmc/Intel, Taiwan/US?
Click to expand...
legally can tsmc prevent those folks joining competitors in the 1st place? Is there such a thing as non-compete and is it actually enforceable in Taiwan system?
 
Daniel Nenni said:
I'm still bothered by the fact that Intel did not announce Wei Jen Lo joining the executive staff. Hopefully that will be corrected.
Click to expand...
@Daniel Nenni

Your intuition is probably quite a good prediction before IFS spinning off from INTC.

It’s not an official hiring statement by giving Lo an email address, more like a rumor circulating in private networks, suggesting that this move could be a prelude to forming ASMC (involving INTC, tSMC, and other third parties). That could eventually become the right career platform for Lo (LBT, and more others), even if INTC isn’t hiring him right now.

Let’s wait and see how the next scene unfolds — perhaps the beginning of the main act, like an overture or prologue where the key characters and themes start to appear.

Cheers, MAGA ...
 
Last edited:
Mickey said:
It’s not an official hiring statement by giving Lo an email address, more like a rumor circulating in private networks, suggesting that this move could be a prelude to forming ASMC (involving INTC, tSMC, and other third parties). That could eventually become the right career platform for Lo (LBT, and more others), even if INTC isn’t hiring him right now.

Let’s wait and see how the next scene unfolds — perhaps the beginning of the main act, like an overture or prologue where the key characters and themes start to appear.
Click to expand...
While not an official hiring statement, Intel doesn't typically hand out email addresses. It is Intel policy to remove the email address of an employee that leaves the company within 24 hours.

As to some sort of early move in a giant merger, color me skeptical. I'm inclined to go with the simplest option which I think would be they have not hammered out the exact role the Mr. Lo will play and the media release is waiting for that.
 
It is well known in Taiwan/TSMC that W-J Lo did not want to retire. Instead, he was seeking bigger roles beyond R&D, such as running TSMC USA as CEO. Clearly, C-C Wei shut him up and forced him into retirement by switching his role from R&D to strategy development about a year ago (right after C-C Wei became TSMC chairman). He may be bitter but I'm simply surprised that Intel would be willing to take on a man with so much baggage. Even if he is very knowledgeable and capable (which is often the subject of heated arguments amongst colleagues and suppliers), Intel runs serious risks of offending C-C Wei. TSMC and the entire Taiwanese government. Not a smart move - but it is not too late to reverse course and put an end the story..
 
This looks shady to say the least. Who in his right mind takes 14 boxes of written material with himself when leaving a job to work for a competitor? 😮
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top