TSMC sues former executive for alleged information leakage.
This incident has drawn the attention of the semiconductor industry to the issue of the flow of high-level talents and the protection of trade secrets.
The lawsuit filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company against its former senior vice president Luo Weiren has drawn significant attention in the semiconductor industry. Subsequently, the Taiwan regional prosecutor's office conducted a search at Luo Weiren's residence. Intel has repeatedly responded to the related accusations. As of now, the incident is still ongoing and escalating.
On November 25, 2025, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) filed a lawsuit with the Taiwan Intellectual Property and Commercial Court, accusing former senior vice president Luo Weiren of violating the non-compete agreement and possibly disclosing the company's trade secrets to competitor Intel. In the announcement, TSMC stated that Luo Weiren joined the company in July 2004, was promoted to senior vice president in February 2014, and officially retired on July 27, 2025.
TSMC stated that in March 2024, Luo Weiren was transferred to the Corporate Strategy Development Department, where his duties shifted to a consulting role and he no longer directly managed the R&D department. However, after the transfer, he repeatedly requested the R&D department to hold meetings and provide materials, the content of which related to advanced manufacturing technologies. TSMC emphasized that during his tenure, Luo Weiren signed confidentiality agreements and non-compete agreements, and in the exit interview on July 22nd, he claimed that he would join an "academic institution", but did not disclose that he would join Intel.
On November 27th, the Taiwan regional prosecutor's office conducted a search of Luo Weiren's residence, seizing computers, USB storage devices and other items, and freezing his assets. The prosecutor's office stated that the investigation focused on whether he had violated laws related to the protection of trade secrets.
On November 26th and 27th, Intel issued consecutive statements, denying the relevant accusations. Intel CEO Chen Liwu called them "groundless rumors", and the company's spokesperson emphasized that Intel has strict policies prohibiting the use of third-party intellectual property, and pointed out that its 18A process technology has essential differences from Taiwan Semiconductor's 2nm process. Intel stated that Luo Weiren is a respected professional in the industry, and his career change is a normal personnel flow.
Public records show that Luo Weiren, 75 years old now, holds a doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked at Intel for 18 years and joined TSMC in 2004, holding positions related to research and advanced technologies. In October 2025, after retiring from TSMC, he returned to work at Intel.
This incident has drawn the attention of the semiconductor industry to the issue of the flow of high-level talents and the protection of trade secrets. The judicial process is still ongoing at present, and both TSMC and Intel have stated that they will resolve the dispute through legal means.
BEIJING 
ENGLISH 
USA 
DEUTSCH 
FRENCH 
JAPAN 
SPANISH 
AUSTRALIA
