Micron sues YMTC over alleged engineer poaching and stolen memory technology
The Idaho chipmaker claims the Chinese 3D NAND producer systematically recruited its staff to acquire proprietary knowledge and build a patent portfolio designed to attack Micron's own IP.
Micron has brought legal action this month targeting YMTC, China's leading 3D NAND manufacturer, alleging the company engaged in a coordinated campaign to recruit its top technical talent, gain unauthorized access to its memory technology, and weaponize that stolen knowledge to develop competing products and establish a patent arsenal. The Boise-based semiconductor firm contends that YMTC subsequently leveraged patents obtained through these recruited former employees to file infringement claims against Micron across multiple legal jurisdictions.
According to Micron's allegations, YMTC pursued a deliberate strategy to rapidly construct an intellectual property portfolio spanning foundational innovations through advanced production techniques. The company allegedly targeted Micron engineers specifically, encouraging them to file patents for either standard technologies or inventions that mirrored work they had performed while employed at Micron. This approach, Micron asserts, would allow YMTC to establish overlapping patent claims with other 3D NAND competitors and create grounds for attacking Micron's own patent position.
The departing employees reportedly concealed the true nature of their departures by citing personal or family circumstances when resigning from Micron, and deliberately avoided updating their professional profiles to disclose their employment at YMTC. Despite having signed agreements binding them to maintain confidentiality regarding Micron's proprietary information even after employment ended, these individuals allegedly proceeded to use and share that confidential data. Micron's lawsuit further notes that the company failed to track the movements of these former staff members and had no basis to suspect YMTC of planning to misappropriate its confidential information, given that YMTC held minimal market presence at the time.