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Google has filed a lawsuit against its former engineer, Harshit Roy, alleging that he stole and shared trade secrets related to its Pixel chip designs. The lawsuit, filed on November 19 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, accuses Roy of taking photographs of confidential internal documents and posting them online, tagging rivals like Apple and Qualcomm in an apparent bid to maximize the harm.
Roy’s actions began shortly after departing from Google in March 2024. Roy was formerly developing computer chips used in Google Pixel devices. He then attended a doctoral program at the University of Texas at Austin. During that time, he began releasing confidential information online. These posts include details about Google’s proprietary Pixel system-on-chips (SoCs).
Roy’s posts on X tend to be vaguely threatening. He has included remarks such as “I need to take unethical means to get what I am entitled to” and “Remember that empires fall, and so will you.” He has posted a total of 158 photographs of internal documents, revealing key information about the unique strengths and strategic challenges of its Pixel SoCs.
“After an investigation, we found that this former employee stole numerous documents, and we’re pursuing legal action against them for the repeated and unauthorized disclosure of confidential company information. This behavior is something we will simply not tolerate,” said Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda.
In response, Google is seeking monetary damages and injunctions to prevent further disclosures. Google claimed to have attempted “to resolve this without judicial intervention.” The company even went to lengths of tracking Roy down at his university campus. But their efforts were ultimately ignored, as his actions even escalated further.
Roy has not responded to requests for comment. However, he has posted on LinkedIn, stating, “A case that goes undefended does not count as a victory. I’ll see you in court soon.”
The case underlines the difficulty companies face in safeguarding their intellectual property, particularly when employees leave under strained circumstances. The company is calling for an emergency injunction under the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act (TUTSA) to stop any further unauthorized disclosures.
