News of thew day... Robert Buderi Xconomy

In filings for the Massachusetts case, iRobot alleges that Ahed set up Robotic FX while he was still an iRobot employee. The suit charges that Ahed “transferred—without iRobot’s knowledge or authorization—iRobot proprietary information to Robotic FX. After leaving iRobot, Robotic FX began producing tactical robots derived from and incorporating iRobot’s confidential information and trade secrets. Robotic FX’s ‘Negotiator’ robot is a conspicuous and unmistakable copy, in design and functionality, of iRobot’s PackBot.” According to the suit, Ahed first worked at iRobot as a summer intern in 1999, and began full time work in July 2000. For both positions, iRobot states, Ahed signed Invention and Confidentiality agreements, both of which were attached to the filing. Ahed terminated his iRobot employment on June 21, 2002, the document states; that same day, he executed a termination document certifying that he had not retained any confidential information or material. However, iRobot alleges, a day later “Ahed logged on to iRobot’s network and transferred confidential and proprietary iRobot information via email from his iRobot email account to his external email account at Robotic FX.”