Apple settles trade secrets lawsuit against chip startup Rivos

Written by Blake Brittain

(Reuters) – Apple Inc plans to settle a lawsuit that accused technology startup Revus Inc of stealing its trade secrets related to computer chip technology, according to a court filing filed Friday in federal court in California.

The companies told the US District Court for the Northern District of California that they “signed an agreement that potentially settles the case,” and that the agreement allows Apple to scan Revus' systems and recover any confidential information.

Representatives for Apple and Rivos did not immediately respond to requests for comment and more information about the settlement.

Apple filed a lawsuit against “stealth” startup Rivos in 2022. It said Rivos, based in Mountain View, California, had hired dozens of its engineers and used its confidential information to develop competing “system-on-chip” (SoC) technology.

SoCs are integrated circuits that contain many computer components on a single chip, including CPUs and graphics processing units. Apple said in the lawsuit that it has spent billions of dollars and more than a decade of research on its SoC designs, and that they have “revolutionized the world of personal and mobile computing.”

Revus denied the allegations and claimed that Apple “sought to punish Revus and any Apple employee who might seek to work there from the moment Apple learned of the promising startup.” Apple was opposed last September due to unfair competition.

Apple settled related claims in the case last month against six former employees who left the company to join Rivos.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Barrio and Alistair Bell)