Google kills off ability to order Uber in Maps app

Waymo sued Uber in February 2017, claiming that former Waymo executive Anthony Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 confidential files before leaving to set up a self-driving truck company, called Otto, which Uber acquired soon after.

Uber denied using any of Waymo’s trade secrets. 

Levandowski has declined to answer questions about the allegations, citing constitutional protections against self-incrimination.

Waymo claims former Waymo executive Anthony Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 confidential files before leaving. Levandowski, then-head of Uber’s self-driving program, is pictured above in 2016

The trial had been scheduled to begin on Dec. 4., but Waymo said it learned of new evidence after the U.S. Department of Justice shared it with Alsup.

As a result, judge said in November that Uber withheld evidence in the lawsuit, delaying a trial to give Waymo time to review a letter alleging Uber trained employees to steal trade secrets and hide their tracks.

In Feb 2018, Uber the two firms settled the lawsuit after Uber agreed to pay about $245 million to Waymo.

The move brought the four-day civil trial to an abrupt end. 

Google’s Waymo unit said Uber agreed to take steps to make sure Waymo technology isn’t used in Uber’s autonomous vehicles.

Uber’s CEO said in a printed statement that the company doesn’t believe trade secrets made their way from Waymo to Uber – but, he insisted the firm is taking steps to make sure its self-driving vehicle research represents only Uber’s work.



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