As if Boeing didn’t have enough problems, the airplane manufacturer was found guilty of stealing trade secrets from another company and faced a $72 million fine.
The
case involved hybrid-electric planes made by Zunum Aero.
The
lawsuit was heard in federal court in Seattle, with jurors agreeing with Zunum that
Boeing not only stole technology from
the company, but drove the startup out of business.
"Boeing
respectfully disagrees with the jury's verdict, which is not supported by the
law or the facts," the company said in a statement. The
company plans to appeal.
Earlier
this month, a judge ruled for Boeing in that Zunum failed to repay the
manufacturing giant about $9 million in loans. The smaller company alleged that
Boeing passed along the trade secrets to its own development company in Safran
S.A., which Boeing denied.
"Far
from the dramatic tale Zunum spins in its complaint, Zunum's story is a simple
one: an ambitious startup's reach exceeded its grasp, and investors fled,"
Boeing said in a court filing.
Boeing
is facing its own issues stemming from the January 5 incident in which a door
panel blew off an Alaska Airlines plane. Boeing has also
lost more than $30 billion in the last five years.
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