U.S. Government Indicts Chinese DRAM Maker JHICC on Industrial Espionage; Bans Exports To Firm
The U.S. Department of Commerce [DoC] this week banned U.S. exports to a China-based maker of DRAM. The DoC believes that Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company (also known as Fujian or JHICC) not only uses technologies obtained from Micron, but also threatens the latter's long-term economic viability and therefore could also be involved in activities that are contrary to the U.S. national security interests.
In the meantime, the U.S. Department of Justice [DoJ] has also filed an indictment against JHICC, United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), and several individuals accusing them of corporate espionage and stealing IP from Micron. Between the two, the U.S. authorities essentially sided with claims that Chinese makers of memory have illegally obtained IP and technologies from DRAM makers from the U.S. and potentially other countries.
As a result of DoC actions against JHICC, all U.S.-based (and, actually, non-U.S.-based too) companies will require a special license for all exports, re-exports, and transfers of commodities, software and technology subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). DoC makes no secret that such license applications will be "reviewed with a presumption of denial", so it will be tremendously hard for JHICC to obtain practically everything, including Windows 7 licenses for manufacturing equipment and production tools themselves (ASML has a strong presence in the U.S., whereas Nikon Precision is based in California). Meanwhile, the whole situation is somewhat more complex.
Related: Tsinghua to Build $30 Billion DRAM/NAND Fabrication Plant in Nanjing, China
(Score: 2) by legont on Saturday November 03 2018, @12:45AM (1 child)
The sad truth is that in truly free trade and protected rights world the US will be a looser. We have laws/agreements designed to our advantage and we violate more.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 2) by RamiK on Saturday November 03 2018, @09:50AM
But that's playing a rigged game that rewards nothing to the winner. Why should the US ruin its populous' quality of life by economically warring against everyone else on the globe for the distinction of being the wealthiest? Once you're a developed nation, that money can't buy you anything worth while you don't already have except the silliest of luxuries. Even the best weapons don't mean squat when the threat of nuclear warfare keeps all those fancy high-tech planes and ships in storage. We understand this when we look at military expenditure since we understand pouring money into nothing of value doesn't make any sense. But that's exactly what the US is doing when its trying to be the best economically.
compiling...