Ex-Intel man accused of taking secrets to AMD
Trying to impress new bosses, said FBI
AN ENGINEER WHO moved from Intel over to rival chip maker AMD has been accused by the FBI of nicking top secret files on the way out the door.
According to FBI agent Timothy Russell, an ex-design engineer at Intel's Hudson plant named Biswahoman Pani thought he might try impress his new bosses at AMD by copying a raft of classified Intel design documents before scooting over to his new job.
According to the filing in the Boston US District Court, 13 files containing over 100 pages of top secret documentation and 19 drawings were found during a search of Pani's house in July.
The FBI was tipped off by another Intel employee who, on discovering Pani's planned move to the competition, ordered a log of his system access before he left.
"Intellectual property is a critical asset for Intel," said spokesIntel, Claudine Mangano.
"We basically asked the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate activities, and we are cooperating with that investigation."
The affidavit also let AMD off the hook, saying the investigation had found no evidence that the company had encouraged or even knew of Pani's alleged industrial espionage. There is also no evidence that it got its hands on the designs either.
Thus far Pani's attorney, Bradford Bailey, has said his client "maintains his innocence and plans to vigourously defend against these accusations."
Pani was not taken into custody, but has been ordered to give up his passport and now no longer works at either AMD or Intel. µ
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Comments
Bad Boy!
Tsk, tsk..... he'll get the book thrown at him. The company my wife works at had a similar issue, someone left, took physical IP (drawings, documents, etc.), sold them to another company. Her company found out, and by the time it was over, the other company had to pay much wonga, and the employee in question was fired and will probably never get another responsible position again. Too damn bad.You can take what you have in your head, but that's all.
At least that guy from Intel could have made a CD or DVD. Much easier to hide than paper, so I've heard. Stupid git.
zap$*&^%
Can you still take what you have in your head? If that's true I'm sure there's people working to change it. IP doesn't stop being IP just because it's not on paper or digitized. Can't let those nasty employees leave the company without a full brainwipe.One Big Show
Are we suppose to now believe that free competition actually exist and this fake wrestling match is actually real?Patented Technology
Intel would have had patents on them anyway if they were technology related. Unless the engineer sold them or hacked into the system to gain unauthorised access, the copies may be just to help him in his new job and it may be his own work , his own notes etc. Get on the wrong side of Intel managers, and they may make you unfit for work for the rest of your life. The high moral ground big companies like Intel, Microsoft & Google adopt is often dubious. They are willing to in bed with the devil if they can make a dollar, yet poor mortals like us have to fear them, just because the strength of their legal teams.re: bad boy
Actually you usually can't take everything in your head- or rather you aren't allowed to share everything.You can be put in jail long after you've left someone like Intel for sharing NDA level secrets within a certain period of time with the competition.
Wait!!
I'm a computer science professional and a US Citizen teaching English in China because I can't get a job in my own country - can I have his? Please?Cheers,
Will
RE: Patented Tech
Sam clearly doesnt work in the x86 industry.Anyway - this guy should have known full well after signing the NDA-type documentation at his exit interview @ INTC, that he wasnt supposed to print/take/etc anything from his prior company.
Bad bad form on this guys part... good luck to him getting another job in the CPU design business; he sure wasted those 6+ years getting his BSEE and MSEE.
LOL
I think this guy needs to be tarred, feathered, and paraded through town like the idiot he is.Does he think he'd end up differently than the last guy who tried to do the same thing? AMD turned him in anyways!
Dumbasses couldn't learn from others' mistakes.
bonded labour
The big boss legal squad trapped a big talent while talking with wife on technology issue . To upgrade knowledge utilising his best means is not a crime rather if we look from other angle it is a noble intention to fit a newcomer to her new role. Harassment to anyone at the direction of ex employer and for calculation of gross mistake section1832 sounds wrong as it is not an act of espionage. Monetary transaction and transfer of data to third party being not established here, the only possibilities of good intention to teach his life partner remains un attended.Immediate restoration of normalcy to the innocent family is the only solution. The big boss should make himself more dynamic to solve petty demands of his talents, atleast not to demoralise the most talented brains of this beautiful world.big people's small game
what an idea of destroying one's moral by framing serious charges against talented youth for not continuing job for the reason best known to these big bosses. It sounds like playing game with an old employee to trap him in their net. When the transaction did not involve any monetary benefit or transfer of data to third parties action like this is irrelevant. They should have tried a better way to retain the talents instead of damaging or destroying them. Mere access of data with an intention to teach his life partner does not attract the section like 1832 rather it is like doing injustice in aprehension of possibilities. Top executives should make themselves available to solve this type of problem. I can't understand why the state does not formulate a policy to safeguard both employee and big boss so that the silly games to retain talents does not arise.Maybe Blown out of Proportion
As an engineer I've taken specs, RTL, etc when I've transferred jobs. I've never used it at a competitor, I've just kept it as a keepsake.I can believe that someone at Intel that doesn't like this guy, dropped a dime on him and then the FBI found some souvenir specs.
I don't think that a CPU's architecture matters too much these days. Its just executing the process (design, debug, fabbing) that create the competitive advantage, and thus a competitor's RTL wouldn't be worth much.
Or.. maybe the guy was stupid.
The High Moral Ground!?!?
Sam, aren’t you taking “The high moral ground” with the, ‘poor little me, big bad corporation’ argument? Your comment is nonsense, and a simplistic, myopic assessment of the situation. Your argument is based on Mr. Pandahi’s idea’s being so revolutionary, that he was compelled to take his IP with him, rubbish. If so, why didn’t he just cook up a few 300mm wafers in his basement?When a ‘Co Operation’, hires an individual, he/she collectively joins a team. He/She has access to ALL their IP, resources, hardware, and patents. The individual contributes to the foundation on which all their years of corroborated design, research and the company has been built. I am quite certain he didn’t contribute billions toward these goals. To suggest otherwise sounds like the rants of a superficial Fanboy.
The company is PAYING the individual FOR his/her contribution. The individual enters the company with the shirts on their back, what they do, however, is on the company time and company resources. It doesn’t give the EMPLOYEE the right to take the whole enchilada with him/her because of that small contribution. Further, if their ideas are so revolutionary, they could submit papers, file patents, and be paid accordingly.
Most of INTC’s/AMD’s/Microsoft’s Senior Fellows have shared such patent with each other, based on a corroborative mutual effort----among many. (In Microsoft’s case no other company in history made so many millionaires within its ranks)
This guy was a thief. He was stealing IP from one company to further his personal career with another. On the short side he would have looked great to AMD, Genius! On the long side, he could have been “the guy who came over from Intel with some good stuff”. Either way, ask yourself this, with your myopic assessment, would you hire this guy to work in your company? Would you want him on your team? Would you let him in your house?
Rubbish, he's a thief with no moral fibre.
SPARKS
Intel and AMD in same bed
I found interesting as Pani’s wife was an Intel employee at the time he joined AMD. Very “gentle” relations between two of them (I mean INT-AMD) !!o ' mother
at one time this indian engineer had great reputation so he was in the strength of intel since last 7yrs or more.But in its return wat he got? hegot only mental torture ,badnameand harssment .out of ignorance wat he did is forgivable.intel justlike mother of this indian engineer could forgive him without any hesitation.this indian engineer did a lot for intel. now at this stage intel should reconcile the matter . GOD BLESSHe Knew What He Was Doing
Before anyone handles classified documentation at intel, they have to take a training class on proper handling of classified documentation. Also, every classified document clearly states on it's binder cover what restrictions are placed on the documentation, and the standard restrictions are no copying, no removing from the premisis, and no divulging the contents to anyone.For him to say he was curious is bull. To say he was helping his wife is bull. If his wife needed the information, she could request it herself. If she wasn't authorized to see it, then she wasn't permitted to see it.
No employee can work for the competition at the same time working for the company. That's in their employment contract.
The bottom line is, this person knew what he was doing was wrong, and illegal, so he should be punished accordingly.
@Sam
Trade Secrets are not patented, and thus not protected.