Aircraft
Joby Sues eVTOL Aircraft Rival Archer Over Trade Secrets
Lawsuit alleges former Joby employee hired by Archer stole intellectual property
Joby's JAS4-1 eVTOL prototype flies over Dubai
Joby's JAS4-1 eVTOL prototype flew at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. © Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation has filed a lawsuit against rival eVTOL manufacturer Archer Aviation, alleging that the latter committed corporate espionage. The lawsuit, filed with the Superior Court of California in Santa Cruz last week, claims that a former Joby employee who joined Archer’s team in August misappropriated trade secrets and attempted to undercut an existing deal between Joby and a real estate developer. 

That employee, George Kivork, joined Archer in August as general manager for the Los Angeles region after serving as Joby’s head of U.S. state and local policy for nearly four years. Joby alleges that Kivork stole various confidential files before leaving, and that Archer used information in those files to come up with a more competitive deal to offer the developer.