Apple is suing a California-based chip startup, Rivos, for stealing trade secrets after its former employees brought confidential documents with them.

Rivos, a startup that is still in stealth mode, has already caught Apple’s eye after it allegedly began poaching the tech giant’s employees. According to the lawsuit that is bringing them unwanted fame, at least two engineers from the iPhone-makers have joined the startup in what it described as a ‘coordinated campaign’ to steal talent.

While the above may not be a crime, the employees allegedly left with documents amounting to gigabytes of data, including details about chip designs that Apple is yet to announce.

Part of Apple’s complaint reads: “Apple has reason to believe that Rivos instructed at least some Apple employees to download and install apps for encrypted communications (e.g., the Signal app) before communicating with them further.”

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For now, not much detail is available about the case, but it is likely going to attract a lot more attention.

Recall the scandal Anthony Levandowski caused for Uber after Google uncovered that he had stolen Waymo’s secret tech and taken them to Uber when he joined as a lead engineer.

Trade secrets are precious to tech companies, and it is what sets them apart and give their new products (or services) the edge. Obtaining them illegally or from former employees is a crime that attracts severe fines.

Rivos, the accused startup, is yet to say anything about the suit, and Apple has refused further comments.

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