Advertisement

Possible roadblock to Lenovo/IBM deal?

IBM ThinkPad X40

Are the Feds going to put the kibosh on Lenovo snapping up IBM's PC business? Could be. The Committee on Foreign Investments, which includes go the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, has raised concerns that "Chinese operatives" might use the acquisition as an opportunity to engage in "industrial espionage" at one of IBM's research facility and steal technology which could be used for military purposes. Since Lenovo is still part-owned by the Chinese government we can see why this might freak them out a little bit, but unless we're mistaken, Lenovo isn't actually buying any of the facilities where IBM might be conducting research considered critical to national security.