To keep that agreement secret from Google, the Waymo lawyers said, Levandowski and Uber needed some cover, so they hatched a plan for Levandowski to create a self-driving-car startup named Otto, which Uber would then acquire. "In fact, there was this clandestine plan all along that Uber and Mr. Levandowski had a deal," Charles Verhoeven, a lawyer for Waymo, said. Uber, which has denied stealing Waymo's technology, said there was no evidence that any stolen Waymo files had touched Uber's servers. "The case will be decided by Judge William Alsup of US District Court, who is expected to issue a ruling within the week. Levandowski, apparently seeking to avoid criminal charges, has invoked his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.

Source: Economic Times May 04, 2017 03:56 UTC