Joby sues Archer, alleging rival used stolen files to ‘one-up’ deal

air taxi driver Joby Aviation in a new way case accused rival Okçu Aviation a former employee used stolen information to “level up” a partnership deal with a real estate developer.

“This is planned and premeditated corporate espionage,” Joby said in the lawsuit filed Wednesday in the California Supreme Court in Santa Cruz, where the company is headquartered.

Archer and Joby did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

The lawsuit alleges that former U.S. state and local policy leader George Kivork downloaded dozens of files and sent content to his personal email two days before resigning in July to take a job at Archer, which hired him.

By August, Joby said, a partner working with Kivork told him Archer had approached him with a “more lucrative deal.” Joby claims his eVTOL rival’s understanding of “highly confidential” details helped him strengthen negotiations.

Joby also said that the developer tried to terminate the contract due to privacy violations.

According to the lawsuit, Kivork refused to return the files when Joby approached him after conducting an investigation. The company also said Archer denied any wrongdoing and would not disclose how it learned of the terms of the deal or provide the results of an internal investigation it allegedly undertook.

The lawsuit comes at a time when electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology is in the thick of business, as companies seek Federal Aviation Administration certification to begin flying commercially. ‘

The industry also benefited from President Donald Trump’s newly implemented eVTOL pilot program.

In his complaint, Joby argued that it was “imperative” to protect Joby’s work from “such espionage” to increase the industry’s success and ensure fair competition.

Last week, Joby said the hybrid aircraft it was working on with the defense contractor had completed its first test flight. L3Harris. This month, AmazonBeta Technologies, backed by another electric flight company, Beta Technologies, also went public on the New York Stock Exchange.

Joby’s shares have more than doubled in the past year, while Archer’s shares are up nearly 68%.

Archer in August 2023 resident A previous legal dispute with Boeing’sto Wisk Aero for alleged theft of trade secrets. As part of the deal, Archer agreed to use Wisk as its autonomous technology partner.

The hearing is scheduled for March 20, 2026.