TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Two men who worked at a Japanese company in Taiwan have been indicted for leaking technology to a Chinese business. 

The suspects, surnamed Wu (吳) and Huang (黃), were originally R&D manager and chief engineer, respectively. The company specialized in technologies such as cameras and mobile phone lens functions. 

According to prosecutors, a man surnamed Wang (王), who had established a computer and consumer electronics component sales business in China, came to Taiwan for research and development, per CNA. Seeking to vertically integrate the company's industrial supply chain, Wang consulted Wu and promised him an annual salary of NT$5 million if he worked for his company. 

Before resigning in 2020, Wu and Huang allegedly copied their former company’s technology without permission. The breach of trust came to light after the company checked the former employees’ emails.

Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office charged the men with breaking the Trade Secrets Act and Copyright Act. They cost their former company an estimated NT$12.3 billion (US$385 million) for leaking its business and copyright secrets, prosecutors said.