DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ A lawsuit claims OpenAI stole 'massive amounts of personal data,' including medical records and information about children, to train ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A lawsuit alleges OpenAI stole personal data from "millions of Americans" to train ChatGPT. It also stored chat-log data from ChatGPT users, including via apps like Snapchat and Spotify, the lawsuit alleges. OpenAI stole "massive amounts of personal data" to train ChatGPT, a lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI crawled the web to amass huge amounts of data, including vast quantities taken from social-media sites. OpenAI's propertiatary AI corpus of personal data, WebText2, for example, scraped huge amounts of data from Reddit posts and the websites they linked to, the lawsuit claims.

Persons: OpenAI, Sam Altman's, Defendants, —, Slack Organizations: Spotify, Court, Northern, Northern District of, Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Italy

The deal had been announced in January 2022 and the FTC sued to stop it in December last year. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley in San Francisco pressed FTC lawyers on where their economist got the data to show the deal would harm consumers. The FTC has said that if Microsoft bought Activision, Microsoft would have the incentive and the ability to harm competition in markets related to consoles, subscription game services and cloud gaming. "The harm here is we think is substantial in locking up Activision content," said FTC lawyer James Weingarten. To address the FTC concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license "Call of Duty" to rivals.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Read, Microsoft's, Jacqueline Scott Corley, James Weingarten, Corley, Microsoft's Beth Wilkinson, it's, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Biden, Diane Bartz, Lincoln Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, U.S . Federal Trade, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, PlayStation, Thomson Locations: California, Downtown San Francisco , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, San Francisco, British, Canada

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to stop the proposed acquisition because, it argues, it would give Microsoft, maker of the Xbox console, exclusive access to Activision games, which include the highly popular "Call of Duty." Asked if Microsoft would have any incentive to refuse to allow the games on Sony's PlayStation in order to sell more of its Xbox consoles, Nadella responded, "It makes no economic sense and no strategic sense." To address the FTC concerns, Microsoft has agreed to license the blockbuster "Call of Duty" to rivals. It has also argued that it is better off financially by licensing the games to all comers. Kotick argued there was no incentive for Microsoft, if it closes the deal for Activision, to restrict who offers the company's games.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Satya Nadella, Nadella, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Biden, Bobby Kotick, Kotick, Diane Bartz, Greg Bensinger, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, FRANCISCO, Activision, Federal Trade Commission, Nintendo, Sony Group, FTC, PlayStation, Britain's, Markets Authority, Thomson Locations: California, Downtown San Francisco , California, U.S, WASHINGTON, San Francisco, United States, Washington

☆ Man Is Sentenced in $9 Million Cow Manure Ponzi Scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( John Yoon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A California man was sentenced on Monday to more than six years in prison for running an $8.75 million Ponzi scheme that hinged on a nonexistent factory that was supposed to create green energy out of cow manure, federal prosecutors said. For five years, Raymond Holcomb Brewer falsely claimed to be an engineer who ran a company that built anaerobic digestion plants, which convert manure into biogas, the United States attorney’s office for the Eastern District of California said in a statement on Monday. Brewer, 66, of Porterville, Calif., told his investors that he was building the plants and would generate millions of dollars in revenue by selling the biogas, the statement said. He told the investors that they would receive two-thirds of the profits, as well as tax incentives.

Persons: Raymond Holcomb Brewer, . Brewer Organizations: Eastern Locations: California, United States, Eastern District, Porterville, Calif

The lawsuit stemmed from Cook's comment on a Nov. 1, 2018, analyst call that while Apple faced sales pressure in markets such as Brazil, India, Russia and Turkey, where currencies had weakened, "I would not put China in that category." Rogers, based in Oakland, California, said jurors could reasonably infer that Cook was discussing Apple's sales outlook in China, not past performance or the impact of currency changes. The judge also said that prior to Cook's comment, Apple knew China's economy had been slowing and had data suggesting that demand could fall. Apple and its lawyers did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests for comment. The case is In re Apple Inc Securities Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Tim Cook, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, Rogers, Cook, Apple, Jonathan Stempel, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Apple Inc, Apple, U.S, Norfolk Pension Fund, Apple Inc Securities Litigation, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, China . U.S, Brazil, India, Russia, Turkey, China, Cupertino , California, Oakland , California, Norfolk, Norwich, England, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

[1/2] Shoppers walk with Steve Madden bags as pre-Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday shopping accelerates at the King of Prussia Mall in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, U.S. November 22, 2019. The Steve Madden sneakers feature an "S" design that is likely to mislead consumers into thinking Skechers made or endorsed them, the lawsuit said. Representatives for Steve Madden did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Manhattan Beach, California-based Skechers asked the court to order Steve Madden to stop the alleged misuse of its trademarks and requested an unspecified amount of money damages. Skechers also sued Long Island City, New York-based Steve Madden in 2015 for allegedly infringing several design patents covering aspects of its sneakers.

Persons: Steve Madden, King, King of Prussia, Mark Makela, Skechers, Steve Madden's, Berkshire, Hermes, Steven Madden, Daniel Petrocelli, Jeffrey Barker, O'Melveny, Myers, Brooks, Hermès, Blake Brittain Organizations: REUTERS, Manhattan, Nike, Adidas, Berkshire Hathaway, Brooks Sports, Inc, Steven Madden Ltd, Central, Central District of, Thomson Locations: Prussia, King, King of Prussia , Pennsylvania, U.S, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach , California, Long Island City , New York, Central District, Central District of California, NY, Washington

Fake reviews have been a recurring problem on internet commerce sites. Google said Hu buys thousands of fake positive reviews to make the businesses appear legitimate. He then allegedly sells the profiles as "leads" to real businesses in the same fields, which receive contacts from potential customers who reach out to the fake businesses. Google said Hu created more than 350 false profiles bolstered by over 14,000 illegitimate reviews. The lawsuit accused Hu of false advertising, unlawful business practices and violating Google's terms of service.

Persons: Ethan QiQi Hu, Hu, Cooley, Blake Brittain Organizations: Google, Northern, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, San Jose , California, Hu, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports/File PhotoJune 16 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge rejected World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE.N) effort to dismiss a smaller rival's antitrust lawsuit that accused it of monopolizing the market for professional wrestling media rights. In a decision on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, said MLW Media had presented enough "circumstantial" evidence that WWE uses its dominance to keep rivals from accessing various distributors and arenas. MLW said Stamford, Connecticut-based WWE commands about 92% of revenue from U.S. media rights for pro wrestling, versus 6% for All Elite Wrestling and less than 2% for everyone else. MLW sufficiently alleged that WWE's activities "had a substantial effect in foreclosing competitors from the professional wrestling media rights market," Davila wrote. The case is MLW Media LLC v World Wrestling Entertainment Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Cody Rhodes, Joe Camporeale, Edward Davila, MLW, Davila, Marc Kasowitz, Jonathan Stempel Organizations: Wrestling, District, MLW Media, WWE, Elite Wrestling, Fox, Amazon.com, CBS, Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery, Wrestling Entertainment Inc, Court, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Inglewood , CA, USA, SoFi, U.S, San Jose , California, Stamford , Connecticut, , New York, Northern District, Northern District of California, New York

☆ Holmes Says She Can’t Afford $250 Payments to Theranos Victims
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Amanda Holpuch | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for the disgraced entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes said this week that she would be unable to afford to pay $250 each month to victims of her failed-blood testing start-up, Theranos, after leaving prison. Ms. Holmes, 39, began an 11-year, three-month prison sentence in Texas in May after she was found guilty last year of four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy for defrauding investors about her company’s technology and business dealings. Last month, a federal judge in California ordered Ms. Holmes and her former business partner, Ramesh Balwani, to pay $452 million in restitution to investors who were defrauded, including the media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Federal prosecutors asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California last week to correct “clerical errors” in court records. One of the suggested corrections would require Ms. Holmes, as part of her restitution, to pay either $250 or at least 10 percent of her earnings, whichever is greater, each month after she is released from prison.

Persons: Elizabeth Holmes, Holmes, Ramesh Balwani, Rupert Murdoch Organizations: U.S, Northern, Northern District of Locations: Texas, California, Northern District, Northern District of California

☆ China's Guangzhou R&F co-chief agrees to be extradited to U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, June 14 (Reuters) - The billionaire co-chairman and CEO of Chinese developer Guangzhou R&F Properties Co Ltd on Wednesday agreed to be extradited from London to the United States, where he is facing bribery charges. Zhang Li, who co-founded Hong Kong-listed R&F (2777.HK), is wanted on a provisional warrant issued in the Northern District of California that accuses him of participating in a scheme to bribe public officials between 2015 and 2020. The 69-year-old, who is currently worth $1.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine, is alleged to have paid kickbacks to obtain permits for a construction project in San Francisco. In December, Zhang was granted bail on the condition that he pay a security of 15 million pounds ($19 million), the joint-largest security that an English court has ever accepted. Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Sarah YoungOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zhang Li, Zhang, Sam Tobin, Sarah Young Organizations: F Properties Co, HK, Northern District of, Forbes, Westminster, Lawyers, U.S, F's U.S, Properties, San, Thomson Locations: Guangzhou, London, United States, Hong Kong, Northern District, Northern District of California, San Francisco, China

☆ A California taco restaurant hired a 'priest' to ask staff to confess to workplace 'sins' like arriving late, an ex-employee told the Department of Labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A restaurant got a person "identified as a priest" to ask staff to confess to workplace "sins," an ex-worker said. They told a court the "priest" asked if they had stolen from the Sacramento, CA restaurant or harmed their employer. "The priest told me that he would instead ask me questions to get the sins out of me." They said that after the priest talked to staff, he left the restaurant together with one of the owners. Workers claimed that during the investigation, the restaurants instructed staff not to work with the DOL and told them to share false information.

Persons: DOL, —, Taqueria Garibaldi, Garibaldi, Che Garibaldi, William B, Shubb, Che Garibaldi's Organizations: Service, US Department of Labor, Department of Labor, DOL's, Che Garibaldi Inc, Workers, US, Court, Eastern, Eastern District of Locations: Sacramento , CA, Sacramento , California, Eastern District, Eastern District of California

☆ US FTC seeks court order to block Microsoft acquisition of Activision -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission will seek a court order to block Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) acquisition of Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), a source familiar with a planned court filing said on Monday. Shares in Microsoft rose 0.8% Monday, while Activision fell 0.5%. The FTC plans to make the filing seeking the order in the Northern District of California, the source said. "We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court," said Microsoft president Brad Smith in a statement. But antitrust experts say the FTC faces an uphill battle to convince a judge to block the deal because of the voluntary concessions offered by Microsoft to allay fears it could dominate the gaming market.

Persons: Brad Smith, Joe Biden, Rami Ayyub, David Shepardson, Doina Chiacu, Nick Zieminski, Conor Humphries Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision Blizzard, FTC, Activision, Nintendo, Sony Group, EU, Northern District of, Sony, U.S, Thomson Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

A trial in the copyright infringement case had been set to begin on Monday. YouTube and Schneider agreed to end the case with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled. YouTube denied the allegations and said it goes "above and beyond" to protect copyrights. In a win for YouTube, U.S. District Judge James Donato last month refused to certify the lawsuit as a class action. The case is Schneider v. YouTube LLC, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Maria Schneider, Schneider's, Schneider, District Judge James Donato, Joshua Schiller, Philip Korologos, Boies Schiller, George Zelcs, Stephen Tillery, David Kramer, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich, Rosati Read, Blake Brittain Organizations: YouTube, Schneider's San, District, Northern, Northern District of, Thomson Locations: Schneider's San Francisco, infringers, U.S, Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

☆ FTC to seek federal court order temporarily blocking Microsoft-Activision deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —The Federal Trade Commission plans to file in federal court to prevent Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard from closing their $69 billion merger, according to a person familiar with the matter. The FTC sued Microsoft in the agency’s administrative court in December, challenging the deal as anticompetitive. “We welcome the opportunity to present our case in federal court,” Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, said in a statement. Microsoft has struck 10-year licensing agreements with some game platforms that will ensure those titles remain available. Antitrust officials from the European Union blessed the deal last month, saying that Microsoft’s concessions were enough to address its competition concerns.

Persons: ” Brad Smith Organizations: CNN, Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, Court, Northern, Northern District of, FTC, Sony, “, Antitrust, European Union Locations: Northern District, Northern District of California, U.S, European

SummarySummary CompaniesCompanies Law Firms Realtek said MediaTek used patent lawsuits to stifle businessAccused chipmaking rival of antitrust violationsJune 6 (Reuters) - Realtek Semiconductor Corp (2379.TW) sued rival Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek Inc (2454.TW) in Northern California federal court on Tuesday, claiming MediaTek paid a company that sues over patents a "secret litigation bounty" to file meritless lawsuits in the United States to disrupt its business. Realtek said MediaTek signed a patent licensing agreement with IPValue subsidiary Future Link Systems LLC in 2019 that included the secret "bounty" agreement. Realtek said Future Link has kept details of the agreement "buried under confidentiality obligations and protective orders." Future Link settled several other patent cases against tech companies including MediaTek competitor Amlogic soon after the ITC criticized it, Realtek said. The case is Realtek Semiconductor Corp v. MediaTek Inc, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No.

Persons: Realtek, MediaTek, IPValue, Amlogic, Rudy Kim, Michael Murray, Nafeesah, Paul Hastings, Steven Baik, Blake Brittain Organizations: Realtek Semiconductor Corp, MediaTek, IPValue Management Inc, Link Systems, U.S . International Trade Commission, ITC, MediaTek Inc, Northern, Northern District of, White, Thomson Locations: Northern California, United States, West Texas, Northern District, Northern District of California, Washington

In their joint venture agreement, Baker Hughes says it uses C3.ai's solutions and also sells the product to companies in the oil and gas industry. CNBC's "Last Call" aired a report Thursday night on the investor lawsuit against C3.ai and the company's relationship with Baker Hughes. The lawsuit says the publicity about the massive Baker Hughes sales force "artificially inflated C3's stock" when the company first went public. Richard Drew | APIn an April 2023 filing, Baker Hughes announced it divested 1.7 million C3.ai shares, bringing its ownership to 6.9 million shares. Kerrisdale pointed to C3.ai's "highly conspicuous growth" in unbilled receivables, largely from Baker Hughes, and wrote that "accounting red flags abound with the Baker Hughes relationship."

Persons: Tom Siebel, Siebel, Thomas M, Chris J, Ratcliffe, it's, Baker Hughes, Logan Roy, Larry Ellison, Yasmin Khorram, Dan Brennan, We've, Brennan, he's, CNBC's, Reed Kathrein, Theranos, —, Kathrein, Richard Drew, they'd, unbilled, receivables, Siebel's, Ken Goldman, Goldman, Gil Luria, Davidson, Luria, Nick Wells, Scott Zamost, Sam Woodward, Tom Siebel's Organizations: Siebel Systems, Oracle, Bloomberg Tech Summit, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Forbes, Siebel, C3, U.S . Department of Defense, Shell, Northern District of, SEC, Twitter, " Traders, New York Stock Exchange, AP, Point Capital Management, Spotify, C3 Energy, Revenue, Wall Locations: London, Redwood City , CA, Redwood City , California, Northern District, Northern District of California, unbilled receivables, Point

☆ Patagonia accuses Nordstrom of selling 'thousands' of fake Patagonia sweatshirts and T-shirts at its Rack stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Nordstrom in California federal court on Tuesday accusing the retailer of selling 'counterfeit' Patagonia products. Patagonia had a "years-long dealer relationship" with Nordstrom, but after Patagonia chose to end the agreement Nordstrom sold "counterfeit" Patagonia items in its off-price Nordstrom Rack stores in 2023, according to the suit filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Central District of California. An alleged counterfeit Patagonia clothing item claiming to be both 100% polyester and made of organic cotton. A tag attached to an alleged counterfeit Patagonia clothing item showing a typographical error. Additionally, Patagonia is asking a judge to immediately prevent Nordstrom from manufacturing, producing, sourcing, importing, and selling any products that resemble Patagonia's products and trademark.

Persons: Nordstrom, —, Defendant, Ben Tobin Organizations: Nordstrom, Service, Seattle, Court, Central, Central District of, Patagonia Inc, Nordstrom Inc Locations: Patagonia, California, Central District, Central District of California, Nordstrom

☆ Delta Air Lines hit with proposed class action over carbon neutral claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A proposed consumer class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges Delta Air Lines made "false and misleading" claims of being the world's first carbon-neutral airline while relying on invalid carbon offsets. The lawsuit, filed by California resident Mayanna Berrin in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, said Delta premised its carbon neutrality on the purchase of carbon offsets from the voluntary carbon market, rather than achieving carbon neutrality through sustainable fuels and carbon removals as initially promised. "Nearly all offsets issued by the voluntary carbon offset market overpromise and underdeliver on their total carbon impact due to endemic methodological errors and fraudulent accounting on behalf of offset vendors," Berrin's attorneys wrote in a complaint. The voluntary carbon offset market is an arrangement of companies and nongovernmental organizations that facilitate investment in green programs such as anti-deforestation and renewable energy. In exchange for their investment in these projects, companies receive carbon offsets in the form of credits that verify the amount of carbon that wasn't released because of the company's investments in offsets.

Persons: Mayanna, Delta, — Organizations: Delta Air Lines, Air Lines, Central, Central District of, Delta Locations: California, U.S, Central District, Central District of California, India, Indonesian, Cambodian

☆ Staff at several Subway stores in San Francisco missed out on $265,000 of wages after the franchisee gave them checks that bounced, Labor Department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Bay Area Subway franchisee paid staff more than $265,000 in bounced checks, the DOL said. The stores also violated child-labor laws, kept tips, and got staff to falsify records, a DOL investigation said. Between July 26 and December 26, 2022, alone, 297 checks bounced from just one bank account belonging to one of Meza's businesses, a DOL investigator said in a declaration. The investigation by the DOL's Wage and Hour Division covered 14 franchise stores in total, but the department did not say how many had given bad checks to staff. Meza's business associate also threatened to file a false police report against two 15-year-old employees who asked for their unpaid wages, the DOL wrote in the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California, federal court in his ruling called the settlement "fair, adequate and reasonable." Class members will receive $50 up to $395 based on the number and nature of repairs made to a keyboard. The court's ruling approved a request from the plaintiffs' lawyers for $15 million in legal fees. Two lead plaintiffs' lawyers at Girard Sharp and Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith in a statement said they "look forward to getting the money out to our clients." The case is In re: MacBook Keyboard Litigation, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

The private plaintiffs sued Microsoft in California federal court in December to enjoin the deal, which they called harmful to competition. Corley pushed back on the gamers' allegation that Microsoft would limit availability of the game. A lawyer for the gamers said on Monday they will press on with their challenge to the deal despite losing this preliminary round. Corley dismissed the gamers' first lawsuit in March, ruling that plaintiffs had not offered adequate factual support for claims that the deal would violate U.S. antitrust law. The case is DeMartini v. Microsoft Corp, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No.

☆ Elizabeth Holmes Must Report to Prison on May 30 and Pay Restitution
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lora Kelley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The LatestElizabeth Holmes, the disgraced founder of the failed blood testing start-up Theranos, who was convicted last year on charges that she defrauded investors of more than $100 million, has lost her latest bid to stay out of prison while she appeals her conviction. Ms. Holmes, whose case cast a harsh light on Silicon Valley’s culture of hubris, must report to prison on May 30, a judge ruled after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected her attempt on Tuesday to remain free on bail. Ms. Holmes and her top lieutenant at Theranos, Ramesh Balwani, who was found guilty of fraud in a separate trial and who began serving his prison sentence last month, were also ordered to pay $452 million in restitution to victims of the company’s fraud. Of that total, the judge, Edward J. Davila of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, who oversaw both trials, determined that Ms. Holmes and Mr. Balwani should pay $125 million to the media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who invested in Theranos. Walgreens and Safeway, which had entered into business deals with the company, were also identified as victims for the purposes of restitution.

☆ A court denied Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' request to stay out of prison after her attorneys claimed there were 'numerous, inexplicable errors' in her trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A court denied Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' request to stay home while she appeals her conviction. Holmes was convicted of four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in 2022. A court has ruled that Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has to go to prison, denying her request to stay home while she appeals her conviction. Holmes was convicted of four counts of an 11-count indictment in January 2022 related to her blood-testing startup Theranos, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In March 2018, Theranos, Holmes, and Balwani were charged with "massive fraud" by the SEC.

On Tuesday, the U.S. government accused a former Apple employee, Weibao Wang, of stealing trade secrets from the company's self-driving car division, including the entirety of Apple's "autonomous" source code. Following that, he worked as chief technology officer at Neolix, a Chinese self-driving car company. Wang is the third former Apple employee from China to be accused of stealing trade secrets from Apple's self-driving car division. Xiaolang Zhang, who worked at Apple around the same time as Wang, pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from Apple in August. Apple has reportedly been working on a self-driving car since at least 2015, although it has never discussed its goals or plans publicly and no car has been announced.

☆ DOJ charges former Apple engineer with alleged theft of autonomous car tech for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A former Apple software engineer was charged with allegedly stealing Apple's autonomous technology for a Chinese self-driving car company, the Department of Justice announced Tuesday. Weibao Wang worked as a software engineer at Apple from 2016 to 2018, a DOJ indictment said. Wang worked on Apple's Annotation Team, and was granted "broad access" to databases which the Justice Department said could only be accessed by 2,700 of Apple's 135,000 employees. An even smaller segment, around 2%, had access to "one or more" of the databases Wang accessed, the indictment continues. The charges were announced as part of a sweeping enforcement action led by the Disruptive Technology Strike Force.

Search resuls for: "District of California"

25 mentions found