Uber’s legal woes go on with fresh lawsuit

Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent Alphabet, has filed a suit against Uber, accusing it of stealing designs.

It took Alphabet’s Waymo seven years to design and build a laser-scanning system to guide its self-driving cars. Uber allegedly did it in nine months. Waymo claims that was possible because a former employee stole the designs and technology and started a new company.

The complaint intensifies Alphabet’s rivalry with Uber, one of the Internet giant’s largest investments, and reflects an escalating talent war in the burgeoning autonomous-driving arena as tech and auto companies alike compete for skilled engineers.