Category: trade secrets

New York Man Jailed for Plotting to Steal Trade Secrets for China

A New York man has been sentenced to two years in prison on Jan. 3 for conspiring to steal trade secrets from American multinational company General Electric (GE) to benefit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xiaoqing Zheng, 59, of Niskayuna, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit economic espionage in March 2022, the Department of…


NY Man Sentenced for Plotting to Steal Trade Secrets for China

A New York man was sentenced on Jan. 3 to two years in federal prison for conspiring to steal trade secrets from General Electric (GE) to benefit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Xiaoqing Zheng, 59, of Niskayuna, New York, was convicted of conspiracy to commit economic espionage following a four-week jury trial in March last year, the…


Chinese-Born Ex-Apple Employee Pleads Guilty to Trade Secret Theft

A former Apple employee pleaded guilty on Aug. 22 to stealing internal files from the tech giant’s automotive division. A court filing (pdf) shows that Xiaolang Zhang pleaded guilty to trade secret theft in federal court in San Jose on Monday, facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Zhang’s plea agreement with…


Pfizer Sues Long-Time Employee for Allegedly Downloading Thousands of Company Files Containing Trade Secrets

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Pfizer has sued a former employee for breaching her confidentiality agreement when she allegedly downloaded thousands of the company’s files, some of which contained trade secrets and confidential information, to her personal devices and attempted to “cover her tracks.” In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California,…


Chinese Spy Convicted of Conspiracy to Steal Cutting-Edge US Aviation Technology

A jury in Cincinnati has convicted a Chinese intelligence agent over his role in a scheme to recruit spies and steal sensitive American aviation technology for Beijing. Xu Yanjun, a deputy division director at the Chinese Ministry of State Security, Beijing’s top intelligence agency, was found guilty on all four counts, including conspiring to and…


Republican Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Fight IP Theft by China’s Communist Regime

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) on Tuesday reintroduced legislation that would set into law the denial of export privileges against nations that steal American intellectual property, with the bill part of a broader legislative thrust to counter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “What Americans innovate, China steals. China’s long history of intellectual property theft costs the United States…


GOP Lawmaker Reintroduces Proposal to Fight IP Theft by Chinese Regime

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) reintroduced legislation on May 4 that would set into law the denial of export privileges against nations that steal U.S. intellectual property, as part of a broader legislative effort to counter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “What Americans innovate, China steals. China’s long history of intellectual property theft costs the United States billions…


Hundreds of Taxpayer-Funded US Scientists Likely Compromised by China: NIH

More than 500 U.S. federally funded scientists have been flagged over their financial ties with China and other foreign adversaries, the National Institutes of Health has revealed. As of April, the federal health agency has reached out to 90 institutions that receive government grants regarding 200 researchers. It has also removed 100 from the “NIH…


Hundreds of US Scientists Feared Compromised by China: NIH

More than 500 U.S. federally funded scientists have been flagged over their financial ties with China and other foreign adversaries, the National Institutes of Health has revealed. As of April, the federal health agency has reached out to 90 institutions that receive government grants regarding 200 researchers. It has also removed 100 from the “NIH…


Hundreds of US Scientists May Be Compromised by China: NIH

More than 500 U.S. federally funded scientists have been flagged over their financial ties with China and other foreign adversaries, the National Institutes of Health says. As of this month, the federal health agency has reached out to 90 institutions that receive government grants, regarding 200 researchers. It also has removed 100 from the “NIH…