At issue is whether Uber stole self-driving technology from Waymo, formerly Google's self-driving car project, through the actions of former Waymo employee Anthony Levandowski. Levandowski downloaded more than 14,000 confidential Waymo files before he left to start his own self-driving truck startup, Otto, which Uber acquired in 2016 for $680 million.
In opening statements on Monday, Waymo's lawyer, Charles Verhoeven, argued that Uber's acquisition of Otto amounted to "corporate espionage" and that Uber continued to use Waymo's trade secrets even after it was aware of the potential theft.
Uber's lawyer, Bill Neukom, countered that Levandowski was not an employee of Uber when he downloaded the files and that there is no evidence that any of Waymo's trade secrets were actually used in Uber's self-driving cars.
If Waymo is found liable, Uber could face a number of penalties, including:
* Damages for the misappropriation of trade secrets
* Injunctive relief to prevent Uber from using Waymo's trade secrets
* A disgorgement of profits from Uber's use of Waymo's trade secrets
In addition, Uber's reputation could be severely damaged if it is found to have engaged in corporate espionage. This could lead to a loss of customers and partners, as well as increased regulatory scrutiny.
The trial is expected to last for several weeks. A decision is not expected until next year.
