Judge dismisses YMTC lawsuit against Micron over false claims

A US federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit brought by Chinese chipmaker Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) against Micron Technology, ruling that claims about YMTC’s memory chips containing “spyware” constituted political speech rather than the kind of commercial false advertising that courts can punish. US District Judge Carl Nichols issued the dismissal on August 14, ending a legal fight that had been brewing since YMTC filed suit in June 2025. The core question was deceptively simple: when a competitor says your product is a national security threat, is that a business attack or a political opinion? Judge Nichols sided firmly with “political opinion.” What YMTC alleged YMTC’s complaint targeted both Micron and DCI Group, a public affairs firm. The Chinese chipmaker argued that the defendants violated the federal Lanham Act, which prohibits false advertising and unfair competition in commercial settings. At the heart of the dispute were claims published through the China Tech Threat website during 2021 and 2022. Those statements linked YMTC’s technology to military espionage and criminal conduct, allegations the company vigorously denied. YMTC argued the campaign did real fi...