Apple settles lawsuit with former material lead accused of stealing trade secrets

After a year of litigation, Apple has settled a lawsuit with former material lead, Simon Lancaster who was accused of stealing the company’s trade secrets and sharing them with a journalist to get favorable press coverage of his start-up venture.

Lancaster served 11 years at the tech company as its material lead and product designer for the iPad, MacBook, HomePod, and other products. He left the company to join Arris, a materials research and development company.

When Apple sued Lancaster in March 2021, he formally accepted that he shared information about the company’s products with a reporter but denied misuse of power, abusing trust, and stealing company secrets.

Judge approves the settlement agreement in Apple vs. Lancaster case

On November 1, 2022, Judge Edward M. Chen approved the settlement agreement in Apple vs. Lancaster case. As per the court’s order, the case has been dismissed with prejudice and Lancaster is liable to pay an undisclosed amount of money to the tech giant.

He is also barred from sharing, communicating, or using any confidential information without the company’s written approval. The order reads:

Lancaster is ENJOINED from disclosing, communicating, transferring, discussion or using any Confidential Information, in any form, without Apple’s express prior written authorization. The prohibitions contained within this paragraph include, but are not limited to, (a) communicating or selling any Confidential Information to any third parties or to any Apple personnel; (b) making copies of any Confidentail Information, whether electronically or by other means; (c) transferring any Confidentail Information to any other sotrage media, computer, server, facility, device, other tangible or intangible thing where such information might be stored; and (d) providing or offering to provide to any third parties or to any Apple personnel any good or service that incoprporates any Confidentail Information;

Judge approves the settlement agreement in Apple vs. Lancaster case

Rida Imran