On September 14, 2018, a former scientist at GlaxoSmithKline (“GSK”) pled guilty to conspiring to steal trade secrets from his former employer. Dr. Tao Li was accused of stealing confidential information about anti-cancer drugs from a GSK facility in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania after conspiring with other GSK employees who provided information to him via email, in person, and on a thumb drive. Dr. Li had established a rival company in Nanjing, China with financial backing from the Chinese government. The trade secrets allegedly stolen from GSK included detailed information about multiple products under development and information about manufacturing these products. This case is part of a larger trend, as federal authorities seek to crack down on the theft of trade secrets used to establish competitor companies in China. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, William McSwain, commented “[n]ot only is this a serious crime, but it is literally a form of economic warfare against American interests. Such criminal behavior must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Dr. Li will be sentenced on January 4, 2019 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
