'Celluride' Founder Sues Uber For Allegedly Stealing Ride-Sharing Concept
If there's one thing Uber can't seem to drive far enough away from, it's controversy. In the past six months alone, we've seen it suffer a database breach, cause major strikes, get hit with a class action, quadruple fares during a crisis, and backtrack on invasive measures.
Continuing this perpetual controversial ride is a lawsuit filed Friday against Uber itself, its CEO Travis Kalanick, and some early investors. The man behind the suit is Kevin Halpern, founder of Celluride Wireless, an Uber-like company that was established six years before Uber's launching.
This case isn't a mere matter of coincidence; Halpern claims that he discussed Celluride's design with Kalanick in great detail years before Uber's launch, including going as far as sharing designs and a prototype, all of which was shared under the agreement of confidentiality.
Halpern's lawyer states, "as the creator of the ride-sharing industry concept, (Halpern) feels he has been left out of the company by the people he worked with." Uber has shot back, calling the suit "completely baseless."
Now, it's just a matter of waiting for things to proceed.