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Trade Secret News: Former Intel worker charged in theft of secret files | News - Security - CNET News

"The FBI has charged an engineer with stealing trade secrets from Intel, his former employer, after taking a position with rival chip maker Advanced Micro Devices, The Boston Globe reported Friday."

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Pani turned in his resignation to Intel in May, stating he would continue working there through June 11, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint. However, he began working for AMD on June 2, while he still had access to his Intel laptop and the company's computer network. The affidavit said Pani collected the sensitive information from Intel for its competitive value to his new employer.

Pani admitted to the FBI during a July 23 interview that he obtained the files but only out of curiosity and to aid his wife, also an Intel employee, prepare for a transfer to a new Intel plant.

Intel asked the FBI and the Justice Department to intervene after learning about Pani's job at AMD from another Intel employee. The FBI said there is no evidence that AMD knew of or encouraged Pani's actions or ever received the confidential Intel files. Pani is no longer employed by AMD, his attorney told the Globe.

And from Computerworld - Former Intel engineer charged with stealing trade secrets

"At this point, there has been no evidence that AMD knew that Pani had downloaded Intel's files, had encouraged Pani to do so or that it received those files at all," wrote FBI Special Agent Timothy Russell in the affidavit. "It appears at this point that Pani obtained Intel's trade secrets to benefit himself in his work at AMD without AMD's knowledge."

Michael Silverman, a spokesman for AMD, said in an e-mail to Computerworld that the company is cooperating fully in the investigation. AMD no longer employs Pani.

PcPro headlined the story as AMD employee accused of stealing Intel secrets while The Tech Herald had AMD employee charged with stealing trade secrets from Intel.

Full post as published by Indiana Civil & Business Lawyer on October 13, 2008 (boomark / email).