In July 2018, U.S. District Judge James Patterson imposed a $59 million penalty against China’s largest wind-turbine firm, Sinovel Wind Group LLC (“Sinovel”), for stealing trade secrets from a Massachusetts-based technology company, American Superconductor Inc. (“AMSC”). This fine was imposed as restitution to the American company, AMSC, after Sinovel was found guilty of stealing trade secrets in federal criminal court in January 2018. At trial, the court found that AMSC’s losses from the theft exceeded $550 million. The ordeal left AMSC in perilous financial shape. The U.S. Department of Justice said that the company lost more than $1 billion in shareholder equity and 700 jobs. Because of the severity behind Sinovel’s theft, the court ordered Sinovel to pay $1.5 million in fines and $57.5 million in restitution, and the company was put on probation for one year. The parties reached a settlement with Sinovel, which it agreed to pay the $57.5 million in restitution.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Cronan stated, “[a]s demonstrated by this prosecution, intellectual property theft poses a serious threat to American companies, and the Department of Justice is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting individuals and corporations who undermine American competitiveness by stealing what they did not themselves create.” This case further affirms the United States’ commitment to prosecuting the theft of intellectual property through criminal and civil penalties.
Those who perpetrated the thefts live abroad. One has been successfully prosecuted in Austria. U.S. charges are still pending against him, as well as two others who live in China.