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Potential witness list in Waymo v. Uber suit includes big names

Among the people listed are Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. No surprise, ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is also named.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter
Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.
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2 min read

The closely-watched lawsuit between Google and Uber, two of the biggest names in tech, is promising to become an even bigger spectacle.

That's thanks to a potential witness list released Tuesday evening for the suit between Google's corporate cousin, a self-driving car tech company called Waymo, and ride-hailing giant Uber. The list includes some of Silicon Valley's biggest names.

Uber

The list of potential witnesses in the Waymo v. Uber lawsuit includes some big names. 

 Getty Images

Among those who might be called to testify: Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, former Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski and former head of legal at Uber Salle Yoo. 

It's the latest turn in what has already been a dramatic lawsuit between the two companies, filled with intrigue over evidence, alleged coverups and bad behavior, and personalities big enough to be the backstory to a Hollywood courtroom thriller.

At the heart of it is Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet. It sued Uber, the world's most highly valued startup, in February 2017 alleging the company stole trade secrets involving self-driving cars. As part of the lawsuit, Waymo says it's seeking more than $1.8 billion in damages. 

Waymo says Levandowski stole 14,000 "highly confidential" documents as he was leaving from his job helping to run Alphabet's self-driving car division. He then began his own self-driving company in 2016, which was quickly acquired by Uber that same year.

Uber has called the claim "baseless."  

While the case is closely watched in Silicon Valley, there are other issues Uber has been contending with as well. Last year, the company brought in Dara Khosrowshahi, the former head of Expedia, as CEO to replace Kalanick, an Uber co-founder who was ousted amid concerns he had fostered a toxic work culture. Since joining the company, Khosrowshahi has apologized to city regulators the company was fighting and also to the drivers who power its service as well.

But, so far it appears he's still planning for Uber to fight its lawsuit with Waymo. Jury selection for the trial is scheduled for Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco.

First published Jan. 31 at 10:13 a.m. PT.
Update at 1 p.m. PT: Adds background.

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