NVIDIA finds itself in legal hot water as French automotive company Valeo files a lawsuit over claims of trade secret theft. The controversy arose when Mohammad Moniruzzaman, an NVIDIA engineer with a previous stint at Valeo, unintentionally revealed source code files during a screen-sharing session in a joint meeting held in 2022. Valeo employees were quick to spot the familiar code, capturing screenshots before Moniruzzaman could rectify his mistake.
The two companies had collaborated on an advanced parking and driving assistance technology for a manufacturer’s offerings. Valeo, once responsible for both software and hardware aspects of the parking assistance tech, lost the contract to NVIDIA in 2021. Valeo alleges that Moniruzzaman, realizing the value of his exposure to their proprietary technologies, illicitly accessed Valeo’s systems via his personal email. Shortly after, he reportedly stole “tens of thousands of files” and 6GB of source code. Moniruzzaman left Valeo, carrying the stolen information, and secured a senior position at NVIDIA, where he continued working on the same project.
Valeo claims that the former employee admitted to the theft, with German police reportedly finding incriminating evidence during a raid on Moniruzzaman’s residence. A German court had already convicted him of infringement of business secrets, imposing a €14,400 ($15,750) fine in September.
In a response dated June 2022, NVIDIA’s legal team asserted the company’s disinterest in Valeo’s code or alleged trade secrets, highlighting prompt actions to safeguard their rights. However, Valeo proceeded with the lawsuit, contending that NVIDIA has unjustly gained substantial profits and saved millions in development costs by illicitly acquiring its trade secrets.
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This incident underscores the intensifying competition in the autonomous driving market, reminiscent of Waymo’s 2017 accusation against Uber. In that case, Uber was alleged to have colluded with a former employee to steal confidential design files, resulting in legal repercussions and a subsequent presidential pardon.