Apple may have completed a potential settlement to end the legal dispute with startup Rivos.
Apple accused Rivos in 2022 of stealing the company's chip designers and trade secrets to improve its products. Apple alleges that Rivos poached dozens of engineers and stole multiple internal Apple files and system-on-chip (SoC) design files.
Apple also named two former employees, accusing one of using AirDrop and multiple USBs, and the other of using Time Machine backups for theft. Apple believes Rivos also told employees to use encrypted messaging apps.
According to reports, the accused Rivos employees tried to delete data and hard drives to cover their tracks, and another searched online for "how much does it cost to lose a lawsuit" and "poached a year after leaving the company", as well as information on the losing party's attorneys' fees.
A year later, Rivos filed a counter-complaint, accusing Apple of placing employees on restrictive contracts that prevented them from finding jobs elsewhere. But it wasn't long before Apple settled a series of claims with six former employees who switched to Rivos.
According to the latest news, according to documents from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Apple and Rivos signed an agreement that is expected to resolve the case, mentioning that "Apple will be allowed to inspect Rivos' systems and other activities and recover any confidential information."
Apple and Rivos asked the court to stay the lawsuit and remove all pending deadlines until March 15, 2024.
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