Couple Accused of Stealing GM Hybrid Technology

Is there a shortage of brilliant engineers in our world? Are hybrid vehicles really using technology coming from outer space? If any of the answers for the aforementioned questions would be “YES”, we could understand why, after Toyota tried to steal hybrid patents from a Russian (the company used the ideas for the Prius but wasn’t willing to pay the author any money until it was forced to), a couple living in suburban Detroit has been charged with conspiring to steal the same kind of information from General Motors.

According to Reuters, Yu Qin, 49, together with his wife Shanshan Du, 51, were charged in a multiple indictment for conspiring to steal secrets concerning hybrid vehicle development from GM in order to deliver them to the Chinese automotive producer Chery.

Qin and Du, who is a former GM engineer, are accused of attempting to pass confidential hybrid vehicle tech from GM to the Chinese carmaker through the Millenium Technology International firm the two owned.

It seems that Du copied a long list of GM documents a few days after the company decided that she would no longer work there, back in 2005.

According to the aforementioned source, a report released by the investigators shows that the couple contacted Chery, proposing the company to establish a joint venture for building hybrid vehicles.

In addition to that, Qin subsequently applied for a job as an engineer, claiming that he was the owner of the aforementioned intellectual property.

If they are found guilty, the two face a hefty fine, as well as a number of years in prison.