Well, it appears that the Taiwan chip giant isn't 'happy' at all with the move of their former official to Intel, and the firm has now officially filed a lawsuit, according to a new report.
TSMC Reportedly Accuses Former Executive of Having Sensitive Data Around Cutting-Edge Chip Technologies
The saga surrounding the move of former TSMC executive Dr. Wei-Jen Lo to Intel has been in discussion for several days, with reports claiming that the Taiwan giant is investigating potential 'technology transfer' to Intel. It is argued that the official had access to sensitive data related to TSMC's 2nm process, and he has been an integral part of semiconductor operations at his former company, which raises doubts for TSMC. Now, based on details shared by the firm, a formal lawsuit is underway.
On November 25th, 2025, TSMC filed a lawsuit in the Intellectual Property and Commercial Court against Wei-Jen Lo, the company’s former Senior Vice President. The lawsuit is based on the terms of Employment Contract between TSMC and Lo, the Non-compete Agreement signed by Lo during his employment, and regulations such as the Trade Secrets Act.
There is a high probability that Lo uses, leaks, discloses, delivers, or transfers TSMC’s trade secrets and confidential information to Intel, thus making legal actions (including claiming damages for breach of contract) necessary.
Apparently, the Taiwan giant wasn't notified of Lo's move to Intel, and the company was told that the former executive would be joining for academic purposes. The lawsuit by TSMC does indicate that the firm feels domestic laws are being violated, and it also appears that the move brings in uncertainity around whether the chip giant's semiconductor secrets are in jeopardy. Interestingly, Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has already responded to the claims made by Taiwanese media, stating that they are baseless and that Intel respects the chip IP of everyone, including competitors like TSMC.
The joining of the former TSMC executive to Intel has much more depth to it than just the scope of semiconductors, as we have previously discussed that Lo's entry into Team Blue's camp would significantly boost Intel's image in Arizona, especially since the executive is well aware of what US customers demand from TSMC in terms of process and advanced packaging. There's no doubt that the IFS is positioning itself as a packaging foundry in the 'shorter term', which is why it sees interest for EMIB and Foveros technologies by several tech giants out there.
Until formal investigations conclude, we cannot be certain whether TSMC will be at a disadvantage regarding the hiring of its executive by Intel. However, it would be incorrect to say that the matter has sparked a new debate in the chip industry, pitting the two largest entities against each other in a rivalry.
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