Chipmaking giant Nvidia is embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with automotive technology company Valeo over allegations of stolen data.
Mohammad Moniruzzaman, a former employee of Valeo, inadvertently exposed himself during a Microsoft Teams call with his previous employer. The Verge reports that the incident, which has sparked a legal case, occurred when Moniruzzaman, who had moved to Nvidia, allegedly revealed Valeo’s source code that he had stolen.
Valeo’s allegations against Nvidia
Valeo’s legal case against Nvidia centers around Moniruzzaman’s actions in early 2021. The company claims he unauthorizedly downloaded the complete source code for Valeo’s advanced parking and driving assistance systems, along with numerous documents detailing the technology, before joining Nvidia. This alleged theft was discovered in a joint project meeting between Nvidia and Valeo in March 2022, when Moniruzzaman accidentally displayed Valeo’s source code on his screen.
The situation escalated when German police, conducting a criminal investigation, found Valeo’s documentation and hardware in Moniruzzaman’s home office. Further, Valeo’s software and documents were located on his Nvidia computer. Moniruzzaman reportedly admitted to the theft to the German police.
Nvidia’s response and legal proceedings
Nvidia, not immediately responding to media inquiries, stated through a law firm its disinterest in Valeo’s code or trade secrets. The company also affirmed it had taken steps to protect Valeo’s rights.
Moniruzzaman claimed the code was only stored locally on his laptop. Despite Nvidia’s disinterest in the stolen code, Valeo alleges that Nvidia has benefited from it, saving significant development costs. Valeo is now seeking damages and an injunction to prevent Nvidia and its employees from using or sharing trade secrets.
The case, emphasizing tech industry’s intellectual property and espionage issues, awaits trial. Valeo’s actions stress the need to protect trade secrets and their theft consequences.
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