Google car spin-out says Uber is involved in a 'cover up' and is 'hiding a device'
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The device in question is a Lidar unit, the radar sensor that self-driving cars use to map their surroundings.
Uber allowed Waymo to inspect two Lidar devices after it was sued in February for allegedly stealing Waymo's Lidar design.
But Waymo now says there is an entirely different version of the device that Uber is hiding somewhere.
In a court filing on Friday, Waymo claims that it found evidence that Uber has "misrepresented" its Lidar designs to the court after it deposed several Uber engineers who admitted to having a second prototype. Uber's case so-far has been to argue that its Lidar design, nicknamed Fuji, is entirely different from Waymo's.
Court filing
Banned
Waymo wants Levandowski, a former Google engineer who now runs to Uber's self-driving car program, to be banned from running the unit that he remains in charge of to this day. A hearing for the preliminary injunction is scheduled for May 3.
"Uber has taken, copied, and used Waymo's technology," Waymo's lawyers wrote in the heavily-redacting filing. "This, along with Uber's subsequent cover-up and violations of this Court's orders, shows the need for an injunction in this case."
The trade-secrets case is shaping up to be one of the most significant and closely watched battles in Silicon Valley in years, pitting two of the world's most powerful companies, and former partners, against each other.
Levandowski, who was also deposed by Waymo, took the Fifth Amendment to avoid self-incrimination on every question except six basic questions about his name and education.
- Tesla tells some laid-off employees their separation agreements are canceled and new ones are on the way
- Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' is the messiest, horniest, and funniest album she's ever made
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- 9 Foods that can help you add more protein to your diet
- The Future of Gaming Technology
- Stock markets stage strong rebound after 4 days of slump; Sensex rallies 599 pts
- Sustainable Transportation Alternatives
- 10 Foods you should avoid eating when in stress