Former Ford engineer Xiang Dong Yu, also known as Mike Yu, was arrested last week at the Chicago O'Hare airport and indicted on suspicion of stealing trade secrets from his former employer.
Yu, who worked at Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2007 , joined Beijing Auto's research and development division to work on computer-aided engineering and automotive body design in November last year on a three-year contract. Yu has become the first to be arrested by such accusation in Chinese Auto history.
Actually at the infancy stage of the Chinese auto industry, several local carmakers like Geely and Shuanghuan were suspected by intellectual property right accusations. But in 10 years’ of dealings with them, considering the future market share, multinational auto giants settled down to compromise.
Compared with those cases, Yu’s difference comes out that the indictment is between the U.S. government and Yu as an individual, nothing to do with the companies he worked for in China. Apparently the intellectual property case has become increasingly serious.
As to the efficient solution, the Chinese auto industry has no experience to borrow. This case can be a mirror that reflects the flaw in handling such cases of Chinese auto corporations.
Not to underestimate the severity and consequence of stealing trade secrets, the "economics" of stealing trade secrets currently favors the Chinese more than the US, which explains why China's laws are more lax in this area.
Amid China’s fast-growing economy and high-profile overseas acquisitions, the imbalance of laws and punishment between China and the U.S. has come out to light. And lack of related punishment is partly why the intellectual property case remains incessant after repeated prohibition in China.
