Apple is said to have reached a potential settlement with Rivos, a Mountain View startup the tech giant sued in 2022. Apple accused Rivos of hiring its employees and stealing trade secrets. The companies informed the US District Court for the Northern District of California that they have agreed to a deal, which allows Apple to conduct a forensic examination of Rivos’ systems and activities.

This legal battle began when Apple alleged that Rivos initiated a campaign targeting Apple’s chip design division employees. Further, Apple asserted that the defendant instructed poached employees to purloin unreleased iPhone chip designs and proprietary data. These designs reportedly cost several billion dollars to develop.

Rivos retorted with a countersuit of its own last year. The startup accused Apple of using anti-competitive measures, hindering emerging startups’ growth and restricting its own employees’ career opportunities.

In April 2023, the court dismissed Apple’s trade secret claims against Rivos, although Apple was permitted to file a revised lawsuit. Apple also reached a settlement with six of its former employees who, along with Rivos, sued the tech giant.

Both Apple and Rivos are now asking the court to pause their cases until March 15. By then, they believe their settlement will be finalized.

Source: Apple reaches possible settlement with the startup it sued for trade secret theft}}.