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A whistleblower from Uber's former "Strategic Services Group" has caused the Waymo v. Uber trial to be delayed again because Uber withheld evidence:
An Uber Technologies Inc. whistle-blower made explosive allegations that a company team stole trade secrets to gain an edge over rivals, prompting a judge to further delay the ride-hailing company's trial with Waymo.
Richard Jacobs, who worked for a now-disbanded corporate surveillance team at Uber, told the judge that stealing trade secrets was part of his former colleagues' mission, along with monitoring information on metrics and incentives for drivers who operate on competitor platforms overseas.
Jacobs was put under oath at a hearing Tuesday after the judge was alerted last week by U.S. prosecutors that he communicated with them in their probe of trade-secret theft at Uber. U.S. District Judge William Alsup said he takes Jacobs's account seriously because prosecutors found it credible.
[...] Jacobs testified that the surveillance team used "anonymous servers" separate from the "main part of Uber." He was asked by a lawyer for Waymo about a staff attorney at Uber who allegedly guided efforts to "impede, obstruct, or influence" lawsuits against the company.
Also at Reuters, BBC, and Recode.
Previously: Waymo v. Uber Continues, Will Not Move to Arbitration
Alphabet Seeking $2.6 Billion in Damages From Uber
Waymo's Case Against Uber "Shrinks" After Trade Secret Claim Thrown Out
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @07:05PM (3 children)
The story at Ars has more recent developments about the Uber attorney testifying.
I hope judge Alsup sanctions Uber in a way that undoes the damage of Uber's cover up and withholding of evidence.
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by edIII on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:05PM (2 children)
In all seriousness, at some point you just need to close the company up after jailing half of the executives. Pretty much the entire time Uber talked a good game about "not being evil", and they hit all the marketing points for trust and integrity. Yet, as we see here, they have none.
It's a company full of lying sexually harassing sociopathic executives in their own war against the powers that be and taxi cab regulations.
This reminds of the Big Pharma company that got a pass, and I'm betting, Uber will get a pass too.
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(Score: 4, Insightful) by DannyB on Wednesday November 29 2017, @08:21PM (1 child)
Very likely that Uber will get a pass under the current administration.
I remember when Microsoft was convicted and there was going to be a penalty. Of course, the judge partly screwed that up himself by talking to reporters prior to rendering his verdict formally. But the real waste was when the George W Bush administration came along. Asscroft said it was all 'without merit'.
Without merit? After all that evidence? After the trial? After a verdict?
Like Microsoft, Uber will probably go into decline. And probably much quicker.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 04 2017, @02:26PM
That decline sure didn't stop Microsoft from mass unauthorized modifications of computer systems around the world with their Windows 10 "upgrade" tricks/scams.