tech giant Apple and startup Rivos have disclosed in a joint court filing on Friday in California federal court that they are considering a settlement in a lawsuit. The lawsuit, initially filed by Apple in 2022, accuses Rivos of misappropriating trade secrets pertaining to computer-chip technology.
According to the filing, the companies have reached an agreement that could potentially resolve the case. As part of this agreement, Apple will have the opportunity to examine Rivos’ systems and recover any confidential information.
The lawsuit originated from Apple’s allegations that Rivos, a “stealth” startup based in Mountain View, California, had poached numerous engineers from Apple and utilized their confidential knowledge to develop competing “system-on-chip” (SoC) technology. SoCs are crucial components featuring multiple computing elements integrated into a single chip, including central and graphic processing units. Apple emphasized in its lawsuit the extensive investment it has made in SoC research, asserting its pivotal role in transforming personal and mobile computing.
In response, Rivos has consistently denied these allegations, accusing Apple of attempting to thwart the startup’s progress and discourage Apple employees from joining Rivos. Last September, Rivos counter-sued Apple for unfair competition.
This potential settlement follows Apple’s resolution last month of related claims against six former employees who had left the company to join Rivos.
Representatives for both Apple and Rivos have refrained from immediate comment regarding the latest development in the lawsuit.