Bitmain reopens its IP dispute against MicroBT, seeks $15M in damage

Again, the world’s leading Bitcoin miner maker, Bitmain, has opened an intellectual property infringement dispute against its biggest rival, MircoBT. The latter has been accused of stealing corporate secrets from Bitmain, according to the recent report by Chinese IP trade media, IPEconomy.

As reported, Bitmain filed a patent lawsuit with the Beijing IP court, accusing MicroBT and the founder, Yang Zuoxing, of stealing and working with their top-secret used in the development of the Antminer machines. Bitmain is seeking a damage claim of 99 million yuan (i.e., about $15 million) from the defendant. 

Note that the founder of MicroBT had worked at Bitmain as a chief chip designer. In 2016, he spearheaded the company’s research and development for mining machines. Thus, Bitmain alleged that Yang had left them to launch a rival product using the information. Meanwhile, this marks the second time where Bitmain calls out MicroBT for patent infringement. 

They have always been caught in the webs of each other. Bitmain filed the first lawsuit in 2017, which was unsuccessful as the Beijing IP Court dismissed the case about a year later. The court has informed it received Bitmain’s second complaint and would take necessary action. The date for the first hearing into the matter is yet to be announced.