Motorola Solutions Inc. is seeking more than $200 million in restitution from a Chinese telecom company already hammered with hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties for stealing trade secrets.Hytera Communications Co. was sentenced earlier this month to five years of probation after pleading g uilty in a criminal case brought in federal court in Chicago to charges of conspiring to steal the digital technology in Motorola Solutions’s walkie-talkies, which are used by public-safety workers like cops and firefighters.In the criminal case, Hytera was ordered to pay a $50 million fine by the end of 2029. The company also must pay a separate civil judgment of more than $400 million in a lawsuit brought by Motorola Solutions.On Thursday, Motorola Solutions filed an appeal saying U.S. District Judge John Tharp erred when he decided not to order Hytera to pay any restitution to Motorola Solutions in the criminal case — just the $50 million fine that goes to the government. Motorola Solutions said the “blatant theft of trade secrets” caused a loss of more than $200 million to the company. The judge decided no restitution was owed because of the payments Hytera has already made in the civil case. Related Chinese company pleads guilty to stealing technology used in Chicago-based Motorola Solutions’ walkie-talkies Hytera was accused of recruiting Motorola Solutions employees in order to steal documents and computer source codes from the Chicago-based company. One internal memo by Hytera spoke of the need to “defeat Motorola” in the walkie-talkie market.In 2008, the Federal Communications Commission required radio manufacturers to transition from analog to digital walkie-talkies. Until the alleged Hytera thefts, the Chinese company was years behind Motorola Solutions in making that shift, prosecutors said.Seven Hytera employees were also indicted in 2021 in federal court in Chicago for their alleged roles in the thefts from Motorola Solutions. Gee Siong Kok pleaded guilty in 2022 to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. As part of his plea deal, Kok agreed to cooperate with the government and is awaiting sentencing. Warrants have been issued for the arrests of the six other defendants. ...read more read less