Uber allowed to continue self-driving car project but must return files to Waymo

A judge has granted a partial reprieve to Uber in its high-profile intellectual property lawsuit with Google's self-driving car operation, allowing the ride-hailing company to continue developing its autonomous vehicle technology. The judge, however, has barred an Uber executive accused of stealing trade secrets from Google spin-off Waymo from continuing to work on self-driving cars' radar technology, and has ordered Uber to return downloaded documents to Waymo. The judge also said that evidence indicates that Waymo's intellectual property has "seeped into Uber's own … development efforts" – suggesting that Uber could face a tough battle as the case moves ahead. Google's lawyers were seeking a broader injunction against Uber, which could have significantly impeded the taxi startup's entire self-driving car program, a move that could have been a fatal setback. The partial victory for Uber follows a judge's recommendation that federal prosecutors launch a criminal investigation into the accusations that it stole Waymo's technology.