In a high-stakes legal battle, Joby Aviation has filed a lawsuit against its competitor, Archer Aviation, accusing the latter of corporate espionage and the theft of trade secrets. The case, lodged in a Santa Cruz, California court, revolves around allegations that Archer utilized confidential information obtained from a former Joby employee to secure a partnership with a U.S. real estate developer. Both companies are in the advanced stages of testing their electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with plans to launch commercial aerial taxi services in Dubai and Abu Dhabi next year.
Joby Aviation claims that George Kivork, its former U.S. state and local policy lead, unlawfully transferred sensitive company files to a personal email account and altered security permissions to access hundreds of documents after leaving the company. Joby alleges that Archer used this stolen information to undercut a contract bid in August 2025. According to the complaint, the developer informed Joby that Archer had knowledge of confidential details from their agreement, implicating Kivork in the alleged espionage.
Archer Aviation has vehemently denied the accusations. Eric Lentell, Archer’s chief legal and strategy officer, dismissed the lawsuit as ‘bad faith litigation,’ asserting that Archer has no deal with the developer in question and that Kivork did not bring any Joby confidential information to the company. Lentell emphasized Archer’s commitment to advancing aviation technology and accused Joby of resorting to litigation to stifle competition.
The case, scheduled for a hearing on March 20, 2026, highlights the intense rivalry in the emerging eVTOL market. Joby is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prevent Archer from using its trade secrets. This legal dispute underscores the challenges of protecting intellectual property in a rapidly evolving industry, where innovation and competition are fiercely contested.