Employee Charged for Stealing Samsung Bio Trade Secrets and Moving to Lotte

An employee who leaked trade secrets while transferring from Samsung Biologics to Lotte Biologics has been brought to trial.

On the 23rd, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office announced that it had indicted Lotte Biologics employee A (39) without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Prevention of Unfair Competition and Protection of Trade Secrets and breach of trust in the course of business.

A is suspected of leaking company trade secret materials, including the quality assurance standard operating procedures (SOP), when transferring from Samsung Biologics to Lotte Biologics in June of last year.

After Samsung Biologics filed complaints against four employees who transferred to Lotte Biologics between August and September last year, the prosecution conducted investigations including a search and seizure at Lotte Biologics headquarters, indicting only A. The other three were cleared of charges as no evidence of trade secret leakage was found.

A prosecution official stated, "There is no evidence confirming that the indicted employee conspired with Lotte Biologics."

Meanwhile, Samsung Biologics and Lotte Biologics continue to be in conflict over issues related to trade secret infringement.

Previously, Samsung Biologics filed for a preliminary injunction to prohibit trade secret infringement against employees who transferred to Lotte Biologics, and in July of last year, the Incheon District Court partially granted the injunction.