Apple Eyes Detente With Startup It Accused of ‘Stealth’ Theft

Apple Inc. is in settlement talks over its claims that chip startup Rivos Inc.poached engineers to steal trade secrets and counterclaims that the iPhone maker forced employees to sign anticompetitive agreements restricting where they can work.

The dispute started in 2022 when Apple sued former employees who went to Rivos, accusing them of working with the “stealth-mode” startup to take proprietary information about chip designs. Rivos in September fired back at Apple for allegedly using illegal measures to intimidate employees “who might dare to leave.”

The judge overseeing the case agreed Wednesday to a request by the companies to ...