Apple accuses ex-employees of stealing chip secrets for start-up

Apple claims that at least two former employees took documents with sensitive information about chips with them when they switched to the start-up Rivos. That company would have encouraged Apple employees to take chip secrets with them.

Apple accuses Rivos of approaching its employees with access to sensitive chip documentation to transfer to the start-up. Several employees allegedly did so, taking documentation with them, after which, according to the lawsuit, they tried to cover their tracks by deleting data from their Apple devices.

At least two former Apple employees took gigabytes of data that Rivos could use, Apple’s accusation. That documentation would enable Rivos to accelerate the development of competing system-on-a-chips.

According to Reuters, which writes about the lawsuit, Rivos is a so-called stealth start-up, which has been operating relatively under the radar since it was founded last year. Rivos is said to have hired more than 40 former Apple employees to work on system-on-a-chip technology.

Apple went to the California court to demand that Rivos no longer use the trade secrets and that its former employees return the stolen documentation. Apple is also demanding compensation.