AsianFin -- A Shanghai court has delivered a first-instance verdict in a high-profile intellectual property theft case involving Zunpai Communications Technology Co and Huawei-owned Shanghai HiSilicon Technology Co, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

The court found that 14 Zunpai employees illegally obtained core Wi-Fi 6 chip technology from HiSilicon, their former employer, constituting trade secret infringement. The defendants were handed prison sentences and ordered to pay a combined fine of 13.5 million yuan ($1.89 million).

The ruling brings to a close a nearly four-year legal battle that has drawn significant attention within China’s semiconductor industry.