Joby lawsuit accuses air taxi rival Archer of using stolen information to 'one-up' deal

Joby Aviation has taken legal action against rival Archer Aviation, claiming that the latter utilized stolen information from a former Joby employee to gain an unfair advantage in a partnership deal with a real estate developer. Filed in California's Superior Court in Santa Cruz, the lawsuit characterizes the situation as 'corporate espionage, planned and premeditated.' The lawsuit alleges that George Kivork, who previously served as the U.S. state and local policy lead at Joby, downloaded numerous confidential files and transferred some to his personal email just two days prior to his resignation in July, shortly before joining Archer. Joby contends that by August, a partner associated with Kivork informed them that Archer had approached them with a 'more lucrative deal,' suggesting that Archer's knowledge of sensitive information influenced their negotiations. Joby further claims that the real estate developer attempted to back out of their agreement, citing a breach of confidentiality. When Joby sought to retrieve the files from Kivork post-investigation, he allegedly refused to comply. Archer, for its part, has denied any wrongdoing and has not revealed how it obtained the details of the agreement or the findings of an internal investigation it reportedly conducted. This lawsuit emerges amid a surge in activity within the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) sector, as companies strive to secure Federal Aviation Administration certification for commercial flights. The industry has also seen support from recent initiatives, including an eVTOL pilot program introduced by former President Donald Trump. Joby asserts that safeguarding its intellectual property is crucial for fostering a healthy competitive environment and ensuring the industry's overall success. Recently, Joby announced the completion of its inaugural test flight of a hybrid aircraft in collaboration with defense contractor L3Harris. Meanwhile, Beta Technologies, another player in the electric flight space backed by Amazon, has gone public on the New York Stock Exchange. Over the past year, Joby's stock has more than doubled, while Archer's shares have risen approximately 68%. Notably, Archer had previously settled a legal dispute with Wisk Aero, a Boeing subsidiary, concerning alleged trade secret theft and agreed to partner with Wisk for autonomous technology. A hearing related to this new lawsuit is scheduled for March 20, 2026.