Judge asks federal prosecutors to investigate Uber in trade-secret case
SAN FRANCISCO – The stakes are getting higher in a trade secrets case that pits Uber against Waymo in a battle over the future of self-driving cars.
A judge asked federal prosecutors to investigate whether Uber Technologies and one of its executives colluded to steal key technology from Waymo, the driverless car division of Google parent Alphabet, before the executive joined Uber last year.
The possibility of an investigation adds to mounting issues facing Uber and its embattled chief executive Travis Kalanick. The ride-hailing giant, which is valued by private investors at nearly $70 billion, is also facing a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice over the company’s use of software that was designed to evade authorities in cities where Uber was not yet legal. That criminal investigation is ongoing, according to sources familiar with the matter.
In referring the case to the U.S. attorney’s office, the court took no position on whether a prosecution is warranted, a decision entirely up to the United States Attorney,” U.S. District Judge William Alsup wrote.
In addition, Judge Alsup denied Uber’s request to move the case to arbitration. That means the high-profile case is expected to go to public trial later this year. Waymo filed the lawsuit in February.
Judge Alsup also temporarily blocked a minor part of Uber’s self-driving program using technology that Waymo claims to be stolen, but it was unclear how much of the program would be suspended because documents of the partial injunction were sealed.
Uber did not respond to requests for comment. Waymo commented on the decision to go to trial in an emailed statement. “This was a desperate bid by Uber to avoid the court’s jurisdiction. We welcome the court’s decision today, and we look forward to holding Uber responsible in court for its misconduct.”
Uber has long been celebrated in Silicon Valley for its hard-charging culture – and for its strategy of moving into cities before getting permission from authorities. Within the tech world, Uber’s success was emblematic of the promise of a new wave of so-called on-demand startups that would use smartphone-based technology to transform entrenched businesses in the physical world.
Technology companies Uber and Waymo, along with Detroit automakers, are in a cutthroat race to develop self-driving technology, which they believe could define the future of transportation in the U.S.
The Uber executive, Anthony Levandowski, allegedly downloaded 14,000 documents to his personal computer before quitting his job last January as an executive with Google’s self-driving car project, which is now Waymo. Waymo claims that Uber colluded with Levandowski to steal lidar technology, a laser that helps software gauge the proximity of objects. Levandowski has stepped aside as the head of Uber’s self-driving car program, though he remains with the company.
Google, which launched a self-driving program in 2009, now has a fleet of more than 100 test vehicles that have driven 3 million miles on city streets in Phoenix; Austin, Texas; and Mountain View, Calif. (The testing rules require that autonomous vehicles have humans in the car). Uber began testing autonomous technology seven years later. The ride-hailing company put its first vehicles on the streets of Pittsburgh through a partnership with the city and Carnegie Mellon University. Today, it has cars in San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Tempe, Ariz.
Marilyn Kopelman of Greenwood Village and a member of the Council of Jewish Women raising her sign during the Annual Equal Pay Day Rally at the Capitol with pay equity advocates, businesspeople and legislators on the west steps Tuesday, April 12 to highlight the pay gap that still exists for women and people of color. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
The pay gap between men and women in Colorado Springs is among the largest in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas. Joe Amon, The Denver Post file