By Erin Ailworth, Globe Staff
American Superconductor Corp. in Devens today charged that a Chinese wind turbine maker hired a former American Superconductor employee to steal its technology.
In a regulatory filing, American Superconductor said it has filed suit in China and is in process of filing criminal complaints against Sinovel Wind Group Co., once American Superconductor’s largest customer. American Superconductor said it discovered the corporate espionage through an internal investigation and a criminal investigation by Austrian law enforcement authorities.
The former employee was arrested in Austria in July and charged with economic espionage, American Superconductor said. The company said the former employee stole software source code used to control wind turbines and passed it to Sinovel.
“We are taking legal action against Sinovel based on its contractual breaches and strong evidence of its criminal misconduct,’’ said American Superconductor chief executive Daniel McGahn said in a statement last night.
The complaints follow months of problems that American Superconductor has had with Sinovel.
Earlier this year, the Devens company cut its workforce by 30 percent, or 150 jobs, citing contract issues with Sinovel. The Chinese wind turbine maker refused to accept shipments for which it was contracted amid talk that it was shifting its business to another supplier.
American Superconductor said yesterday that it would be seeking monetary damages from Sinovel.
“Based on suspicions that were raised in mid-June, we began working closely with law enforcement,’’ chief executive Daniel McGahn said yesterday. “Have no doubt: We are determined to protect our intellectual property and the interests of our shareholders.’’
The former American Superconductor employee, who as not named in the documents, was arrested in Austria in July and charged with economic espionage. He is awaiting trial, the company said. The former staffer stole software source code used to control wind turbines and passed it to Sinovel, the company said. Sinovel could not be reached for comment.
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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/16 Sept) — The New People’s Army’s Front 88 in the hinterlands of Bukidnon province has admitted to arresting six peddlers of sleeping mats for alleged espionage.
In a telephone interview Friday, Ariel Inda Magbanwag, spokesperson for NPA’s Bukidnon-North Central Mindanao Area, said the peddlers, reported missing for over a month now, were caught doing surveillance work while selling their wares door-to-door.
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As Ottawa fosters closer economic ties with Beijing, the news that a Conservative MP exchanged flirtatious emails with a reporter from China’s state-run news agency has raised questions about whether Chinese spies have developed relationships with Canadian officials.
Last week, a series of emails came to light that appeared to reveal a close friendship between Bob Dechert, MP for Ontario riding Mississauga-Erindale, and Shi Rong, a Canada-based reporter for China’s state news agency, Xinhua.
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American Superconductor Corp. alleged that a Chinese maker of wind turbines hired a former employee to steal its technology. The Devens company registered a complaint with officials in China and is seeking criminal complaints against Sinovel Wind Group. The former employee was arrested in Austria in July and charged with economic espionage. The former staffer stole software source code used to control turbines and passed it to Sinovel, the company said. Sinovel has denied those claims.
