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Waymo wants a federal judge to postpone the trial for its lawsuit against Uber over the alleged theft of self-driving car trade secrets. The former Google self-driving car project wants more time to examine a crucial document Uber was just ordered to hand over.
After ruling requiring Uber to release the due diligence report it compiled before acquiring autonomous-driving startup, Waymo asked U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup to postpone the trial, according to TechCrunch. The trial is currently scheduled to begin October 11.
Otto was the startup created by former Waymo engineer Anthony Levandowski. Waymo accuses Levandowski of stealing confidential files, and alleges that the information in those files made its way to Uber after the ride-sharing company bought Otto.
The due diligence report could shed some light on whether Uber knew about the stolen files before it bought Otto, and whether Uber actually used or planned to use stolen Waymo trade secrets. Whether the information in the files was used is a a separate issue from whether Levandowski stole them. Uber has said no traces of Waymo files have been found in its systems, while Waymo has accused Uber of withholding information.
But the Otto due diligence report could be exactly what Waymo wants. According to TechCrunch, Uber and cybersecurity firm Stroz Friedberg (which compiled the report) are releasing thousands of new documents and hundreds of devices under the court order. Waymo claims it needs more time to review this trove of information before the trial.
Judge Alsup has scheduled a private hearing to discuss recent developments in the case. He will host a hearing October 3 to discuss motions to move ahead with the trial.
