Chinese electronics maker Huawei says it respects intellectual property rights, but according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), competitors and some former employees say the company is doing its best to steal trade secrets.
The WSJ recalled a summer evening in Chicago in 2004, when a middle-aged visitor was stopped by a security guard at the showroom where the Supercomm technology conference had just concluded while photographing circuit boards inside millions of dollars of equipment. He was seized from memory cards with photographs, a notebook with diagrams and data belonging to AT&T Corp., and a list of six companies, including Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. and Nortel Networks Corp.
The man introduced himself to the conference staff as Zhu Yibin, an engineer. His badge read Weihua, but according to a visitor, there was a mix-up and his employer's name is Huawei Technologies Co.
Zhu Yibin did not look like James Bond, looked confused, said that this was his first visit to the US, and he was not familiar with Supercomm's rules forbidding photography. Although later it became clear that this was just a mask, and he understood what he was doing.
Since then, Huawei has evolved from a little-known middleman to China's technology leader, the world's largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, and a leader in the development of next-generation 5G networks. The company, which employs 188 people in more than 000 countries, sells more smartphones than Apple, provides cloud computing services, makes microchips and lays undersea internet cables.
At the same time, more than a dozen cases in US federal courts and numerous testimonies from US officials, former employees, competitors and partners suggest that Huawei's corporate culture does not distinguish between competitive achievements and the ethically questionable methods used to achieve this.
Huawei's accusers speak of a wide range of Huawei "interests": the targets of the alleged thefts ranged from the secrets of long-time colleagues, including Cisco Technology Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc., to "A Casual Encounter" by Seattle-based composer Paul Cheever, which was preloaded on the company's supplied smartphones and tablets.
Now Washington is increasing pressure on Huawei, citing national security risks. However, US President Donald Trump that the dispute over Huawei could be settled under a trade agreement between the two countries.
Source: 3dnews.ru