Palantir vs. Percepta: Court Battles Over AI Technology Secrets

A federal judge in Manhattan has granted Palantir Technologies' motion to prevent a former VP and engineer from recruiting its employees for Percepta AI, a company accused of copying Palantir's AI technology. The decision is part of an ongoing lawsuit alleging misuse of confidential information by Percepta's founders.

In a significant legal battle unfolding in Manhattan, a federal judge has sided with Palantir Technologies, restricting a former executive from recruiting employees for a rival AI firm, Percepta AI. The lawsuit, initiated by Palantir last October, contends that Percepta's founders, Hirsh and Radha Jain, built a competing AI software company by using Palantir's confidential information. Notably, the relationship between the Jains remains unclear, and Judge Paul Oetken has sealed his opinion while waiting for proposed redactions from both legal teams.

The ruling additionally prohibits Joanna Cohen, another ex-Palantir engineer now with Percepta, from breaking a confidentiality pact with her former employer. However, Judge Oetken did not enforce Palantir's plea to prevent the defendants from violating non-compete and non-solicitation clauses. Percepta, recently unveiled under the ownership of venture capital firm General Catalyst, has yet to comment on the legal proceedings.

Palantir accuses Percepta of enticing nearly half of its workforce from Palantir and breaching agreements that restrict competition and solicitation post-employment. The lawsuit continues as Palantir seeks to ensure compliance from the defendants. Despite the high stakes, comments from both Palantir and General Catalyst remain unavailable as the legal drama plays out in court.

(With inputs from agencies.)