NUVIA, the startup that challenges Intel and AMD starts badly: Apple denounces the co-founder

Apple has denounced Gerard Williams III, former chief architect of the SoCs of the Cupertino house in recent years and signer of at least 60 patents.

Williams has just started a startup called together with Manu Gulati and John Bruno NUVIA which aims to compete with Intel and AMD in the data center sector with a processor called Phoenix, probably based on a customized ARM architecture.

Gerard Williams III left Apple in February, and it was denounced for planning or undertaking activities that are “competing or directly related to Apple's business or its products”thus breaking the terms of his employment contract.

Apple believes Williams hid the fact that it was preparing to leave the company to start its business, drawing on what was learned in the ranks of the iPhone manufacturer to create his startup. The Cupertino house also believes that Williams has tried to subtract them staff to create the his creature. All in violation of the terms of his contract.

Tim Cook and companions also claim that Williams has created NUVIA in the hope of being purchased by Apple to produce future systems for its datacenters. “Unfortunately, rather than taking advantage of the technology he was working on for Apple, Williams secretly considered how to take the opportunity to take advantage of that Apple technology.”

“Williams boasted that he had started a new company with the technology he was working on at Apple, a technology he believed Apple would need, leaving no choice but to buy it.” Apple wants now an injunction e compensation for damages.

Williams obviously thinks otherwise: the non-compete clause with Apple would not apply under California law – he could therefore create the startup and recruit staff during his work at Apple – and in turn he accused the house of Cupertino that he illegally monitored his text messages, which consequently cannot be used as evidence.

A hearing on the case is scheduled for January 21, 2020.