Linwei Ding, a former software engineer at Google, was convicted on Thursday for economic espionage and theft of trade secrets after taking confidential documents related to artificial intelligence technology to benefit a startup in China.A federal jury in San Francisco found Ding guilty on all 14 counts, including seven counts of theft of trade secrets and seven counts of economic espionage, following a trial that lasted over two weeks.
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news.bloomberglaw.comjustice.govThe case against Ding, who worked for Google from 2019 until late 2023, centered around allegations that he copied thousands of internal documents onto personal devices to help establish his own AI firm, Shanghai Zhisuan Technologies Co Prosecutors stated that Ding's actions allowed him to bypass significant portions of the design process for an AI supercomputer, potentially undermining years of work and investment by Google.
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justice.govcourthousenews.comAccording to testimony, Ding began transferring sensitive documents in May 2022 while still employed at Google.He allegedly uploaded over 1,255 files, amounting to approximately 14,000 pages of proprietary information, to a personal Google Cloud account.Among the stolen documents were critical details about Google's Tensor Processing Units and Graphics Processing Units, which are essential for training large AI models.
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news.bloomberglaw.comjustice.govscworld.comThe prosecution argued that Ding intended to use the stolen technology to advance his startup, claiming he misled investors about his capabilities and the potential of his company.He reportedly stated that he was one of a few individuals capable of replicating Google's AI supercomputing technology and actively sought funding based on these claims.
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news.bloomberglaw.comcourthousenews.comDing's defense, however, contended that the documents did not meet the legal definition of trade secrets, asserting that Google had not taken adequate measures to protect the information.His attorney argued that since many of the documents were accessible to a large number of Google employees, they could not be considered confidential.Furthermore, the defense claimed that Ding never used or planned to use the technology for commercial gain, questioning the value of the documents he took.
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courthousenews.comscworld.comThe verdict was described as a significant step in safeguarding American innovation and intellectual capital, particularly in the rapidly evolving tech sector.US Attorney Craig Missakian emphasized the importance of protecting sensitive technology from foreign exploitation, stating, "The theft of this valuable technology will not go unpunished".
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justice.govtheguardian.comJudge Vince Chhabria ruled that Ding would remain out of custody until sentencing, having determined he was not a flight risk.He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each theft count and 15 years for each count of economic espionage.Sentencing is scheduled for February 2026, where Ding could also face substantial fines in addition to prison time.
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news.bloomberglaw.comjustice.govThe case has broader implications for national security, highlighting ongoing concerns about intellectual property theft tied to foreign interests, particularly from China.The FBI has underscored the importance of protecting American technological advancements, asserting that such thefts can have severe economic and security repercussions for the United States.
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justice.govcourthousenews.comAs the tech industry continues to innovate, cases like Ding's serve as a reminder of the vulnerabilities that companies face regarding their intellectual property and the measures that must be taken to protect it.The outcome of this trial may influence future legal approaches to similar incidents within the tech sector and beyond.
