Google has filed a lawsuit against its former engineer Harshit Roy, accusing him of stealing and sharing trade secrets related to Pixel chip designs. lawsuit, submitted on November 19 within the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas accuses Roy of taking photos of confidential internal documents and posting them online, tagging competitors like Apple and Qualcomm in an apparent effort to maximise harm.
Roy’s activities began shortly after leaving Google in March 2024. Roy was previously involved in the event of computer chips utilized in Google Pixel devices. He then attended a doctoral program on the University of Texas at Austin. During this time, he began sharing confidential information online. These posts provide detailed information about Google’s proprietary Pixel integrated circuits (SoCs).
Roy’s posts on X they appear vaguely threatening. He included comments comparable to: “I must use unethical means to get what I am entitled to” and “Remember that empires fall and you will fall too.” It published a total of 158 images of internal documents, revealing key information about the unique strengths and strategic challenges facing Pixel SoCs.
“Following an investigation, we have now determined that this former worker has stolen quite a few documents and we’re taking legal motion against him for repeatedly and unauthorized disclosure of confidential company information. This behavior is something we simply won’t tolerate,” Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said.
In response, Google is looking for monetary damages and injunctions to stop further disclosure of the knowledge. Google claimed it was attempting to “resolve this issue without court intervention.” The company even went up to now as to trace down Roy on his college campus. However, their efforts were ultimately ignored as his actions intensified much more.
Roy didn’t reply to requests for comment. However, he posted on LinkedIn: “A case that remains undefended does not count as a victory. See you in court soon.”
The case highlights the difficulties firms face in protecting their mental property, particularly when employees leave in difficult circumstances. The company is calling for an emergency order under the Defense Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA) to stop any further unauthorized disclosures.
