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- May 18, 1997
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I am not sure what to think about this. Earlier this year, Google/Alphabet/Waymo sued Uber for ripping off patented and trade secret tech regarding self driving car research back in early 2016.
According to the suit, Levandowski, who runs Uber’s automated vehicle research team, downloaded data while still working for Google related to the company’s laser LiDAR technology, a high-definition sensor that gives self-driving vehicles 360-degree vision. The company learned of this after a supplier to Waymo sent it images of a LiDAR circuit board, presumably from Uber, that resembled its own.
Six weeks before his resignation, Waymo claims that Levandowski "downloaded over 14,000 highly confidential and proprietary design files for Waymo’s various hardware systems, including designs of Waymo’s LiDAR and circuit board," the company said in a blog post that summarizes actions detailed in the lawsuit and which doesn't personally name Levandowski as a defendant.
Now Uber did not "directly" steal anything, as this Levandowski guy actually left Waymo, and went to Otto (a self driving truck company), but later on Uber hired Levandowski away from Otto. Got it? The rub here is that it is being accused that Uber did in fact hire Levandowski in part because they knew (or should have known) that he had these 14,000 Waymo tech files.
"The bottom line is the evidence indicates that Uber hired Levandowski even though it knew or should have known that he possessed over 14,000 confidential Waymo files likely containing Waymo’s intellectual property," Alsup wrote.
But in the end, Levandowski has to return the files....whatever the hell that means in a digital world, and can no longer work on the Lidar portion of Uber's self-driving car program even though some of the tech could be directly traced to Waymo's parts. Color me confused.
However, the judge said few of Waymo's alleged trade secrets have been traced to Uber's self-driving car technology, and that Waymo's patent claims against Uber have proved "meritless."
According to the suit, Levandowski, who runs Uber’s automated vehicle research team, downloaded data while still working for Google related to the company’s laser LiDAR technology, a high-definition sensor that gives self-driving vehicles 360-degree vision. The company learned of this after a supplier to Waymo sent it images of a LiDAR circuit board, presumably from Uber, that resembled its own.
Six weeks before his resignation, Waymo claims that Levandowski "downloaded over 14,000 highly confidential and proprietary design files for Waymo’s various hardware systems, including designs of Waymo’s LiDAR and circuit board," the company said in a blog post that summarizes actions detailed in the lawsuit and which doesn't personally name Levandowski as a defendant.
Now Uber did not "directly" steal anything, as this Levandowski guy actually left Waymo, and went to Otto (a self driving truck company), but later on Uber hired Levandowski away from Otto. Got it? The rub here is that it is being accused that Uber did in fact hire Levandowski in part because they knew (or should have known) that he had these 14,000 Waymo tech files.
"The bottom line is the evidence indicates that Uber hired Levandowski even though it knew or should have known that he possessed over 14,000 confidential Waymo files likely containing Waymo’s intellectual property," Alsup wrote.
But in the end, Levandowski has to return the files....whatever the hell that means in a digital world, and can no longer work on the Lidar portion of Uber's self-driving car program even though some of the tech could be directly traced to Waymo's parts. Color me confused.
However, the judge said few of Waymo's alleged trade secrets have been traced to Uber's self-driving car technology, and that Waymo's patent claims against Uber have proved "meritless."
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