Chinese Engineer Charged with Stealing Car Secrets from Ford

Chinese Engineer Charged with Stealing Car Secrets from Ford
Oct 17, 2009 21:43
GROWTHRING Points: Join Date: May 31, 2009 Status: offline	source: huffinpostnet Poor Ford: The automaker just can't seem to get a break. The company is being plagued by yet one more problem: a Chinese employee who may have stolen 4,000 critical documents containing company trade secrets. The FBI reports that Xiang Dong (Mike) Yu had been a product engineer with Ford Motor Co. for ten years, from 1997 to 2007. The indictment alleges that in December 2006, Yu accepted a job with the China branch of another US company (electronics manufacturer Foxconn PCE Industry Inc.), and copied sensitive Ford documents prior to his departure from Ford, with the purposes of leveraging the trade secrets to gain employment. The FBI wrote in a Department of Justice press release: The indictment alleges that on the eve of his departure from Ford and before he told Ford of his new job, Yu copied some 4,000 Ford documents onto an external hard drive, including sensitive Ford design documents. Included in those documents were system design specifications for the Engine/Transmission Mounting Subsystem, Electrical Distribution system, Electric Power Supply, Electrical Subsystem and Generic Body Module, among others. [...] The indictment also alleges that Yu took Ford design documents to China in July 2005 in conjunction with his efforts to obtain employment with a Chinese automotive company. Lastly, the indictment alleges that Yu used stolen Ford documents in an effort to secure employment with a Chinese automotive company in 2008. Yu was arrested at the O'Hare airport in Chicago after exiting a flight from China, the Detroit Free Press reports. Each count of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets can be punished with up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Oct 17, 2009 21:43

GROWTHRING
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Join Date: May 31, 2009
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source: huffinpostnet

Poor Ford: The automaker just can't seem to get a break.

The company is being plagued by yet one more problem: a Chinese employee who may have stolen 4,000 critical documents containing company trade secrets.

The FBI reports that Xiang Dong (Mike) Yu had been a product engineer with Ford Motor Co. for ten years, from 1997 to 2007.

The indictment alleges that in December 2006, Yu accepted a job with the China branch of another US company (electronics manufacturer Foxconn PCE Industry Inc.), and copied sensitive Ford documents prior to his departure from Ford, with the purposes of leveraging the trade secrets to gain employment.

The FBI wrote in a Department of Justice press release:

The indictment alleges that on the eve of his departure from Ford and before he told Ford of his new job, Yu copied some 4,000 Ford documents onto an external hard drive, including sensitive Ford design documents. Included in those documents were system design specifications for the Engine/Transmission Mounting Subsystem, Electrical Distribution system, Electric Power Supply, Electrical Subsystem and Generic Body Module, among others. [...]

The indictment also alleges that Yu took Ford design documents to China in July 2005 in conjunction with his efforts to obtain employment with a Chinese automotive company.

Lastly, the indictment alleges that Yu used stolen Ford documents in an effort to secure employment with a Chinese automotive company in 2008.

Yu was arrested at the O'Hare airport in Chicago after exiting a flight from China, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Each count of theft and attempted theft of trade secrets can be punished with up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Oct 18, 2009 03:54

LEOPOLD219
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Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
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GROWTHRING, this is not something new. It's an old cliche. Lots of Chinese engineers who have ever worked for the big corporations in USA have been accused of stealing trade secrets after they left the coporations. I think that's why many Chinese who studied abroad like coming back to work in China. You contributed to the growth and the prosperity of USA, but he treated you as an industrial spy after you left one of its industrial corporation.

Oct 19, 2009 00:15	#2
BOBERT Points: Join Date: Jan 1, 2009 Status: Offline	What utter nonsense LEOPOLD! Get a grip on reality! The FBI do not arrest people on cliches. They arrest people only on facts! Lucky he did not comitt this crime in China or he would not even get the luxury of the presumption of innocence. Do a search on "Stern Hue" who worked in China for the Australian company RIO and you will see what I mean.

Oct 19, 2009 03:24	#3
LEOPOLD219 Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Bobert, I know you are Australian. The economic ties between China and Australia are not good. About the "Stern Hu case", you acquired the information from Australian media,. It is biased and one-sided. As outsiders, we really don't know the inside facts.

Oct 19, 2009 14:56	#4
BOBERT Points: Join Date: Jan 1, 2009 Status: Offline	LEOPOLD, I have some news for you. All media is nationalistic and predjudice! Not just the Australian media! If you believe the Australian media is "biased and one-sided" but the Chinese media is unbiased and fair then you really do need a dose of reality. To affirm that the Chinese media is trustworthy, but the Australian media is biased, is both parochial and xenophobic. To say "As outsiders, we really don't know the inside facts" suggests that you trust big brother and prefer not to question the "facts" presented through the media. I prefer to think for myself than be spoon fed propaganda by the media. There are no "inside facts" thus far. Just rumours and innuendo from both sides. You don't know anymore than I do about this case. The differece is that you believe what you are told. I don't. The only "facts" are the ones that will emerge AFTER Stern Hu has his day in court. Everything prior to that is unsubstantiated hearsay and gossip. The Chinese government and the Chinese media originally accused Stern Hu of stealing state secrets. Those charges were later downgraded to industrial espionage. So obvioulsy the "inside facts" originally reported in the Chinese media have proved to be something less than "facts". If you believe what you read in newspapers, of any nationality, then you are gullible. Incidentaly, I know a lovely bridge in Sydney that I can sell you very cheaply. I can let you have it for just 10,000 yuan. Send me the money and I will send you the bridge.
BOBERT Points: Join Date: Jan 1, 2009 Status: Offline	Last edited by BOBERT: Oct 19, 2009 14:58

Oct 19, 2009 22:07

MARRIE
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Join Date: Jan 7, 2008
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Bob. ''hearsay and gossip'' is the power of media that can hide the truth, encourage totalitarianism and make up illusion. That best illustrates this financial crisis. As a shanghainese talk shower (Zhou, Li bo) says, A game, of which only 10 people in Wall Street knows the logic, is played by 0.2 billion Americans. At the end of the day, Grandpa Greenspan who belongs to the 0.2 billion says sorry to the corpse of finance.

Oct 20, 2009 00:52

BOBERT
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I agree with you MARRIE. I believe most people are honest and trustworthy. I believe most people don't steal and have respect for others rights. Unfortunatley there is a small minority who have no conscience and no ethics.These are the ones who caused the global financial crisis and they are the same people who will do it all again if allowed. Rules mean nothing to these people. Greed and power are their only motivators.
I liked your idiom; "a lie repeated 1000 times becomes a truth". Very good. I will try to remember it.

Oct 20, 2009 00:55

DODGER
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Join Date: Jul 15, 2007
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I am with Ozzie Bob on this one.
The only reports that I believe when I read the newspaper, any paper are the sports results.
Anything else, especially from politicians I question. Maybe I’m just an old cynic?

As to whether we will ever get to the bottom of the Stern Hue affair I very much doubt it.
The Chinese view on justice is totally different in concept to that of the West.
Some years ago a friend and a CCP member related this story to me.
An edict had come from head office ordering district heads to arrest more criminals.
The police chief in area X duly faxed the number that he had arrested that month to head office.
Back came the reply…”You have not reached your quota.”

If the bridge is still available Bob, I’ll take it.
Do you have an installment plan?
Dodger.

Oct 20, 2009 05:35

BOBERT
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Join Date: Jan 1, 2009
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The bridge is still available Dodger but you better send the money fast. I'm sure Leopold will snap it up quickly. I think he would make a perfect bridge owner and he knows a bargain when he sees it. Fortunatley I also own an iconic huge rock located in central Australia that I can let you have for the same giveaway price. Just deposit the 10,000 yuan in my bank and I will forward the ownership papers.

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