Microchip sues Haier over data copyright

American chip maker Microchip Technology Inc is suing a leading Chinese semiconductor maker in Shanghai, accusing it of infringing the copyright of its database.

Microchip is suing Shanghai Haier Integrated Circuit Co, accusing it of copying the microcode and the data manual of the Microchip-patented Microcontroller Unit.

"Microchip has devoted huge resources to developing the data manual and the microcode, and we have solid evidence to prove Shanghai Haier has violated our copyrights," said Yang Jinzhu, vice president of Microchip Asia Pacific.

Shanghai Haier said, "Microchip's accusation is a distortion ... which Haier cannot accept. Haier's MCU is not completely compatible with Microchip's. Our products have more functions and better resistance to interference."