Apple to Resolve Trade Secrets Lawsuit With Chip Startup Rivos

In the lawsuit, Apple claimed to have dedicated over a decade to researching its System-on-Chip (SoC) designs.

Apple plans to settle a lawsuit that accused tech startup Rivos of stealing its trade secrets related to computer-chip technology, according to a joint court filing on Friday in California federal court.

The companies told the US District Court for the Northern District of California that they had “signed an agreement that potentially settles the case,” and that the agreement allows Apple to examine Rivos’ 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.

In 2022, Apple filed a lawsuit against the ‘stealth’ startup Rivos, alleging that the Mountain View, California-based company had recruited numerous Apple engineers and utilized confidential information to develop competing System-on-Chip (SoC) technology.

SoCs are integrated circuits that combine various computer components, including central processing units and graphics processing units, into a single chip. Apple asserted in the lawsuit that it had invested billions of dollars and over a decade of research into its SoC designs, which have significantly impacted personal and mobile computing.

Rivos refuted these allegations, contending that Apple had been attempting to retaliate against Rivos and any Apple employees who considered working there ever since learning about the promising startup. Last September, Rivos countersued Apple for unfair competition. Apple subsequently settled related claims in the case against six former employees who had departed the company to join Rivos.