Four engineers arrested for selling Intel ES chips

Four engineers were recently arrested in Taoyuan, Taiwan, for selling sample CPUs on eBay. China's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on January 2 that they are all engineers working for OEM manufacturers in Taiwan. The CIB were informed last September that the 4 men were selling the stolen chips on eBay for a huge profit.

A total of 178 sample CPUs worth an estimated NT$2.5 million, or approximately $82590 USD, were found in raids on the suspects homes in December. They admitted they had sold over 500 Intel engineering sample CPUs since 2009.

Engineering samples are early versions of new technology sent out to OEMs and reviewers for testing purposes, and remain the property of Intel. They are usually sent to OEMs in order to assist in the development of compatible products, or for display purposes. They are not for sale, and anyone selling them is technically stealing them to do so.

The samples are popular in online outlets such as eBay, as they are generally much cheaper than on the retail market and usually perform just as well. Additionally, some of them are quite rare, with extra features such as an unlocked multiplier, making them more powerful than the retail parts.

The CIB has asked that engineers not sell samples for a profit, and also urges end users not to buy them. Any engineer selling them could face 5 years in prison.