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Google CFO Ruth Porat says suing Uber was the only right path

“We never sue,” Porat said. “When we do sue it’s in our view so compelling [that] we don’t have an option but to sue.”

Ruth Porat, Google, Code 2017
Ruth Porat, Google, Code 2017
Asa Mathat

It’s a rarity for Alphabet to decide to take its issues with other companies to court, according to its CFO Ruth Porat. But when it came to suing Uber over allegations that Anthony Levandowski, now both a former Alphabet and Uber employee, stole proprietary autonomous tech information before leaving Alphabet, the company had no choice.

“We never sue,” Porat said at the Code Conference at the Terranea Resort in California. “[But] when we do sue it’s in our view so compelling that we don’t have an option but to sue.”

In spite of Uber firing Levandowski, Porat — who didn’t go into too many more details— says the company will pursue the case, which is slowly making its way through the courts.

“It’s a legal case, so I’ll leave it at that,” she continued. “We’re going to press on. In our view there was only one right path and, as you said, we don’t do this often.”

The company recently sought an injunction against Uber, asking a judge to stop the ride-hail company in which Alphabet has an investment from using its trade secrets.

When asked how she hopes the case will turn out she said, “The right way.”

Watch the full interview at Recode’s Code Conference below.

Related


This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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