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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

A whistleblower from Uber's former "Strategic Services Group" has caused the Waymo v. Uber trial to be delayed again [bloomberg.com] 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 [reuters.com], BBC [bbc.com], and Recode [recode.net].

Previously: Waymo v. Uber Continues, Will Not Move to Arbitration [soylentnews.org]
Alphabet Seeking $2.6 Billion in Damages From Uber [soylentnews.org]
Waymo's Case Against Uber "Shrinks" After Trade Secret Claim Thrown Out [soylentnews.org]

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