Every business has to learn how to deal with healthy competition from other brands. But there comes a point where competition can become not-so-healthy.
Such is the case with a recent dispute between Google and Uber over self driving car technology. Both have their own programs that are working to develop the technology. Google’s project is called Waymo. And Uber’s is Otto.
But it’s possible that the two are using very similar technology, as Google has alleged that an ex-employee downloaded over 10 gigabytes of crucial information before wiping his device clean and then leaving for Uber. What this means is that Uber could have access to Google’s system for helping cars see obstacles and avoid collisions, which is a huge part of developing driverless car technology.
Waymo has filed a court complaint. But it remains to be seen what the outcome of this situation will actually be. Regardless, it’s unfortunate when companies have to spend valuable time and resources dealing with issues like this that should be avoided anyway.
Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Business Competition
Of course, it’s not always possible to prevent employees or other businesses from acting in ways that might hurt your company. So being prepared to deal with unhealthy business competition is also a must for any business facing an aggressive market.
Google, Uber Photos via Shutterstock
This article, “What Google Dispute with Uber Can Teach You About Competition in Business (Watch)” was first published on Small Business Trends