A court has issued a non-compete injunction against a former HBM researcher from SK hynix who moved to an executive position at Micron, a competitor in the United States. The decision was made to prevent potential damage from the leakage of SK hynix’s core technologies. SK hynix holds a dominant market share of over 50% in the HBM sector, while Micron is a latecomer with a 3-5% market share.
Last month, the Seoul Central District Court approved SK hynix’s application for a non-compete injunction against former researcher Mr. B, mandating a daily penalty of 10 million won (US$7,580) for any violation. Mr. B was responsible for DRAM and HBM design at SK hynix before resigning in July 2022 and joining Micron in the United States as an executive. His contributions at SK hynix included serving as a leading member of the Memory Research Institute’s design team, DRAM Design Development Division, HBM business chief, and head of HBM Design Department project designs.
Mr. B had signed non-disclosure agreements annually since 2015, pledging not to join a competitor for two years after leaving the company. Close to his resignation in 2022, he signed a non-compete agreement and a secrecy pledge for national core technologies. The court ruled that Mr. B must not work for, advise, or provide services to Micron or any of its affiliates, branches, or business units until July 26, following his non-compete agreement.