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A former Google software engineer, Linwei (“Leon”) Ding, was convicted for stealing trade secrets related to artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. His actions were intended to benefit two companies based in China; one of these firms, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co., Ltd., was founded by Ding himself. The case reflects broader concerns about economic espionage and the protection of proprietary technology.
Key Details of the Case
- Defendant: Linwei Ding, 38 years old.
- Conviction: Seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of trade secret theft.
- Company Involved: Google LLC.
- Technology Stolen: Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), and SmartNIC network interface cards.
- Timeframe: Worked at Google from May 13, 2019, until his resignation in December 2023.
How the Theft Occurred
Ding began uploading trade secrets to his personal Google Cloud account around May 21, 2022. He utilized an Apple application on his company-issued laptop to convert and transfer files, thus avoiding immediate detection by Google’s security measures.
Connection to China
In June 2022, Ding received job offers from Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology Co., Ltd., a machine learning acceleration startup. When he traveled to China from October 2022 to March 2023, he participated in fundraising efforts for the startup. By May 30, 2023, he founded his own company, Zhisuan, focusing on machine learning technology.
Events Leading to Conviction
Google became increasingly suspicious when Ding continued to upload confidential files to a personal account during his time in China. Additional investigations revealed that he attempted to mislead Google about his location and activities.
Ding’s network access was suspended shortly after he publicly represented Zhisuan at the MiraclePlus conference in December 2023. A search warrant executed by the FBI on January 6, 2024, led to the gathering of crucial evidence against him.
Judicial Proceedings
The indictment against Ding culminated with a grand jury’s decision on March 5, 2024. Despite the defense attorney’s motion to dismiss, the judge allowed the case to proceed, noting the adequacy of the evidence presented.
Ding now faces significant legal penalties. Each count of trade secret theft could lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison, while economic espionage counts carry a potential penalty of 15 years.
Implications and Responses
This case underscores the serious consequences of intellectual property theft. Google’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Lee-Anne Mulholland, expressed gratitude to the jury for sending a clear message about the importance of protecting trade secrets.
The outcome will likely prompt companies to reassess their security protocols and measures against insider threats. As economic espionage cases become more frequent, vigilance in protecting proprietary information has never been more critical.
The legal and financial ramifications of such espionage highlight the ongoing battle against theft and misuse of technology in the global market.
