Joby Aviation makes ‘corporate espionage’ claims in lawsuit against rival Archer

Core Viewpoint - Joby Aviation is suing Archer Aviation for allegedly using stolen trade secrets from a former Joby employee to interfere with its business operations [1][2]. Group 1: Allegations and Lawsuit Details - Joby claims that George Kivork, a former employee who joined Archer, exfiltrated valuable confidential information just two days before resigning, which included partnership terms, business strategies, and technical information about Joby's aircraft [2]. - The lawsuit alleges that Archer approached one of Joby's strategic partners and shared confidential details about Joby's exclusive agreement, which Kivork had knowledge of due to the stolen files [3]. - Joby describes the actions of Kivork and Archer as "corporate espionage" and states that it had no choice but to take legal action to protect its proprietary information [3]. Group 2: Archer's Response - Archer's chief legal and strategy officer, Eric Lentell, claims that Joby's lawsuit is baseless and an attempt to distract from its own issues while trying to hinder a competitor [4]. - Lentell argues that the complaint lacks merit, as it does not specify any trade secrets or provide evidence of misappropriation, emphasizing that Archer has strict onboarding procedures to prevent such incidents [5]. - Archer remains focused on advancing aviation technology and has signed an exclusive deal with Anduril to develop a hybrid VTOL aircraft for defense applications, while Joby is exploring opportunities with L3Harris Technologies for a gas-turbine hybrid VTOL aircraft [5][6].