Google's self-driving car operation accuses Uber of technology 'theft'

Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies has been accused of theft from Google's self-driving technology company, Waymo.

Alphabet, the parent company of Google and Waymo, filed a legal case against Uber on Thursday, claiming that it had organised a "calculated theft" of technology originally developed by Waymo.

Waymo alleges that former Google employee Anthony Levandowski, who now works for Uber's autonomous car operation Otto, secretly downloaded thousands of files from his previous employer's database and used the information to aid his new company.

The case focuses on Waymo's development of its Lidar system, which allows its cars to measure and track other vehicles in its immediate surroundings.

"Waymo has uncovered evidence that Anthony Levandowski, a former manager in Waymo's self-driving car project — now leading the same effort for Uber — downloaded more than 14,000 highly confidential and proprietary files shortly before his resignation," the Alphabet-owned company wrote in a blog post.

"The configuration and specifications of our LiDAR sensors are unique to Waymo. Misappropriating this technology is akin to stealing a secret recipe from a beverage company." the post added.

Uber released a statement following the filing of the suit in a San Francisco court on Thursday, denying any wrongdoing on the part of any of its employees.

The lawsuit poses yet another setback for Travis Kalanick's Uber, which was also in the news this week after a former employee published explosive allegations of sexual harassment and mismanagement in the company.