Apple and Rivos Reach Potential Settlement in Trade Secrets Lawsuit
In a recent development in California federal court, tech giant Apple and startup Rivos appear to be on the brink of settling a lawsuit. The dispute revolves around accusations that Rivos unlawfully acquired Apple’s trade secrets concerning computer chip technology.
Both companies jointly disclosed to the US District Court for the Northern District of California that they’ve inked an agreement that potentially resolves the contentious issue. The agreement grants Apple the opportunity to scrutinize Rivos’ systems to identify and retrieve any confidential information.
Despite this significant step, representatives from Apple and Rivos have yet to respond to requests for comment or provide further details regarding the settlement.
The legal tussle began in 2022 when Apple filed a lawsuit against the secretive startup Rivos, alleging that it poached numerous Apple engineers and leveraged their insights to develop competing “system-on-chip” (SoC) technology. SoCs are crucial integrated circuits containing multiple computer components within a single chip, including central processing units and graphic processing units.
Apple underscored its substantial investment of both time and money, spanning over a decade, in pioneering SoC designs, which it claims have fundamentally transformed personal and mobile computing.
However, Rivos staunchly denied these allegations, contending that Apple has been on a crusade to undermine Rivos and any Apple employees considering employment there ever since learning about the burgeoning startup. In a retaliatory move last September, Rivos countersued Apple for unfair competition.
Last month, Apple settled related claims in the case against six former employees who departed the company to join Rivos, adding another layer to the complex legal saga.
