A former Nanya Technology engineer has been charged with smuggling a camera into the office to copy core chipmaking secrets, a bad sign for Taiwan's efforts to keep its chip know-how at home.

• The engineer hid a sports camera in a pile of snacks to sneak it past office security, then filmed and copied 32 files on advanced chip process technology.
• He did it late at night and in the early hours on weekends after he had already handed in his notice.
• Prosecutors say he had been talking to Chinese headhunters on WeChat about a high-paying job in China.
• He argued the files were just for "self-study," but the court rejected that and kept him locked up without visitors for three months.
• Judges said he has a strong reason to flee: he faces a serious prison term, has no steady income, and could be hit with a huge damages claim from the company.

Outlook: The case goes to trial with the engineer in custody, and the key fight will be whether prosecutors can prove he meant to use the secrets in China.