Apple advances chip secrets’ suit against former employees poached by Rivos

Apple Inc.’s suit alleging startup Rivos Inc. poached its engineers to steal trade secrets used to develop its homegrown chip designs can move forward against some of the workers, a federal judge in California ruled Friday.

US District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose said Apple had “sufficiently identified” a trade secret and alleged “sufficient harm” by three former employees. The judge rejected requests to dismiss a Defend Trade Secrets act claim against three former Apple employees as well as a breach of contract claim against five.