The court’s decision highlighted the substantial risk of technology leakage that could result from Mr. A’s employment at Micron or any of its affiliates, potentially allowing Micron to significantly shorten the time needed to match SK Hynix’s business capabilities in the sector. (Image courtesy of SK Hynix)
SEOUL, Mar. 8 (Korea Bizwire) – SK Hynix has successfully obtained a court injunction to prevent a former researcher from joining its rival, Micron Technology, in a case that underscores the intense competition and confidentiality concerns within the semiconductor industry.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of SK Hynix on February 29, imposing a daily fine of 10 million won on the individual, identified only as Mr. A, should he breach the non-compete agreement.
Mr. A, who had a long tenure at SK Hynix focusing on high bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM design, is now an executive at Micron, raising suspicions of talent poaching by Micron to rapidly catch up with the technological capabilities of industry leaders like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.
The court’s decision highlighted the substantial risk of technology leakage that could result from Mr. A’s employment at Micron or any of its affiliates, potentially allowing Micron to significantly shorten the time needed to match SK Hynix’s business capabilities in the sector.
The ruling emphasized the irreparable damage SK Hynix could suffer in terms of competitiveness should any sensitive information be disclosed.
Mr. A left SK Hynix in July 2022, having signed confidentiality and non-compete agreements, which the court found he had violated. SK Hynix filed the injunction in August of the same year, shortly after discovering Mr. A’s employment at Micron.
Industry insiders suggest that Micron’s recent leap into the fifth generation of HBM production, bypassing the fourth generation to directly commence mass production of HBM3E, could be attributed to acquiring key personnel from established players.
This move by Micron has signaled a potential shift in the semiconductor industry’s landscape, challenging the dominance of South Korean firms in the HBM market.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
