In pleading guilty to felony conspiracy charges, Hytera admitted that it knowingly agreed to take, without authorization, Motorola Solutions documents and source code related to DMR technology.
Hytera Communications has pled guilty in the US Justice Department’s criminal prosecution of the Shenzhen-based company for misappropriating and stealing confidential trade secrets and proprietary information belonging to Motorola Solutions.
In pleading guilty to felony conspiracy charges, Hytera admitted that it knowingly agreed to take, without authorization, Motorola Solutions documents and source code related to DMR technology, and that it used that information to develop Hytera DMR products.
DMR denotes digital mobile radio, a standard for two-way radio communication using digital technology. DMR allows devices from different brands to work together on the same network, with applications ranging from hospitality to event management.
Motorola Solutions reacted to the guilty plea with a sense of vindication. “Hytera‘s admission of guilt in federal court validates the extensive evidence that it is a bad actor and felon, and we remain firmly resolute to holding Hytera accountable for its egregious illegal conduct,” said Greg Brown, chairman and CEO, Motorola Solutions. “I appreciate the Department of Justice for its diligence in pursuing this matter. This case is critical validation that our government is fully committed to prosecuting criminals who steal from American companies. We will continue to vigorously defend our valuable intellectual property and trade secrets for the benefit of our company, our customers and our shareholders.”
In 2021, the US Department of Justice filed felony charges against Hytera and seven of its employees, former executive Gee Siong Kok included. The federal grand jury indictment included 21 counts of federal criminal trade secret violations, including engaging in a decade-long criminal conspiracy to steal and use Motorola Solutions’ trade secrets and proprietary information. Kok pled guilty in 2023 and is awaiting sentencing; the other six Hytera employees are currently at large.
In April 2024, a sales ban was slapped on Hytera after a US district court in Illinois issued an injunction against the Chinese company, prohibiting it from selling, importing, exporting, or distributing two-way radio products globally. The injunction also included daily fines of US$1 million until Hytera complied with the court's orders. Hytera subsequently appealed the injunction, which was lifted by the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in the same month.
Under a plea agreement announced Tuesday, Hytera is expected to be sentenced in November 2025, at which time the U.S. District Court is expected to order Hytera to pay restitution to Motorola Solutions and a criminal fine to the U.S. Government.
Motorola Solutions stresses that Hytera’s guilty plea does not resolve their ongoing civil litigation against Hytera. “Motorola Solutions is continuing to pursue collection of the more than $471 million judgment already awarded to it in its trade secret and copyright infringement litigation against Hytera in the United States, as well as injunctive and other relief to address Hytera's misconduct,” the company said.
Hytera, founded in 1993, is based in Shenzhen in southern China. The company is a leading global provider of professional communications technologies and solutions targeting business and mission critical users. Hytera had
2023 revenue of 5.65 billion RMB, which translates into approximately $771 million. That would put the company within the Top 10 of asmag.com’s
Security 50 ranking.