US Judge Dismisses YMTC Suit Against Micron and DCI Group, Citing Political Speech
A US federal district judge in Washington dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chinese memory chip maker YMTC against Micron Technology and public affairs firm DCI Group. YMTC had alleged the defendants violated the Lanham Act by spreading false claims that its chips posed a national security threat, causing millions of dollars in lost sales. The judge ruled the statements, published on the China Tech Threat website in 2021 and 2022, constituted political rather than commercial speech.
Judge Nichols of the US District Court for the District of Washington ruled to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Chinese memory chip maker YMTC against Micron Technology. YMTC brought the case in the United States in 2025, accusing Micron and public affairs firm DCI Group of disseminating false statements that its chips threaten US national security.
YMTC alleged that Micron and DCI Group violated the US Lanham Act by publishing and spreading false information suggesting that spyware was embedded in its chips used in mobile phones, resulting in millions of dollars in lost sales to major computer and consumer electronics manufacturers. The judge determined that the statements in question, published on a website called China Tech Threat in 2021 and 2022, did not fall within the commercial speech category required under the Lanham Act. Rather, they constituted political speech expressing opinions, not commercial speech intended to promote goods or services.
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