Uber's alleged theft of Waymo trade secrets referred to federal prosecutors

The federal judge overseeing a trade secret dispute between Uber and the Google spin-off Waymo has recommended that federal prosecutors begin a criminal investigation into the alleged theft of Waymo's self-driving car technology. Judge William Alsup's referral of the case to the US attorney came amid a flurry of orders in the contentious lawsuit between two Silicon Valley giants. Alsup also denied Uber's attempt to force the case into arbitration and partially granted Waymo's request for a preliminary injunction against Uber. The details of the preliminary injunction are sealed, so it is unclear to what extent Uber will be affected by the order. Waymo had sought to compel the return of its documents and to bar Uber from using lidar technology it said was stolen.