AMEC wins second trial in safeguarding its intellectual property

Chinese semiconductor equipment company Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc said that it has prevailed in its second instance of a trade secret misappropriation lawsuit filed in China against Lam Research Corp of Fremont, California.

In its decision from June 30, 2023, a court in Shanghai ordered Lam to destroy a technical document and two photographs relating to AMEC's plasma ether that it had illegally obtained. The court also enjoined Lam and two of Lam's individual defendants from disclosing, using or permitting others to use AMEC's proprietary technical trade secrets. The court also ordered Lam to pay damages and legal costs to AMEC for its misappropriation of AMEC's trade secrets.

AMEC filed the first instance suit in the Shanghai No 1 Intermediate People's Court in December 2010. AMEC won the first instance in March 2017 after years of hard work. The case was then appealed to the Shanghai High Court. The second instance for judgment followed a six-year battle to protect and safeguard AMEC's intellectual property.