Waymo, Google's autonomous driving unit, reportedly pushed for an arbitration against one of its key engineers last year before going ahead and suing Uber, where the said engineer now works, for allegedly stealing trade secrets, including plans for Waymo's self-driving technology.
Waymo Pursued For Arbitration Against Top Engineer
Waymo initiated claims under private arbitration against Anthony Levandowski, the engineer in question, in October, alleging that he violated his contract's confidentiality obligations and improperly tapped colleagues for his personal driverless technology enterprise, according to Uber.
As Bloomberg reports, Uber is attempting to persuade a federal judge that claims made by Waymo against the company do not belong in a court, but in arbitration, because of the broad provisions included in Google parent company Alphabet's arbitration agreement with Levandowski. Waymo made no statements whatsoever regarding Uber's court filing.
The just-gestating but rapidly moving court fight has amped up Google's rivalry with Uber, and it presents a threat to each companies' stake in the incipient plight of driverless technology in the commercial space. Both companies look at the technology and see a billion-dollar opportunity; no question why they're scrambling, jostling to be first. It's decidedly the next big innovation automotive technology is bound to see, and while the notion of driverless cars fully replacing traditional cars is a topic for another day, the direction toward there is undoubtedly being carved.
If the case is pushed into arbitration, the proceedings between Uber and Google's Waymo will bar spectators from listening in. If so, Uber might escape an expensive, damning, and reputation-breaking legal battle altogether.
"Waymo asserts no claims for trade secret misappropriation in those arbitrations. Waymo's purpose for proceeding in this curious manner seems clear: through artful pleading, it hopes to avoid arbitrating the misappropriation and UCL claims at all costs," said Uber's attorney.
Waymo vs. Uber Explained
Waymo and Uber are both duking it out at present in the driverless car technology, and Waymo is alleging that Levandowski stole more than 14,000 confidential files, bringing along specific blueprints on light detection and ranging sensor technology, which is also known as LiDAR.
According to a report by Reuters, LiDAR is a crucial element of driverless technology, because it works very much like radar in the way that it also shoots light beams in order to accurately map out specific terrain, such as streets and roads, for the car to drive autonomously.
Levandowski left Google to start his own company, Otto, which was then picked up by Uber. Levandowski is now Uber's driverless division head, and Waymo alleges that Levandowski copied the designs to be leveraged for Uber's own self-driving unit.
Uber's lawyers have been pedalling back on the claims over the past several weeks, asking why Google isn't suing Levandowski instead.
Uber and Google will appear again in court come early May.
Thoughts about the mounting driverless technology battle between Uber and Google's Waymo? Any predictions as to what will become of the lawsuit? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
