Dyson claims Bosch ‘mole’ stole secret designs

Sir James Dyson has taken rival engineering company Bosch to the High Court, alleging that the firm paid a ‘mole’ to steal secrets from his research and development facility in Wiltshire.

Sir James Dyson
Sir James Dyson

Dyson filed the case on Wednesday, and claims Bosch stole ‘secret motor technology’ using a mole employed in Dyson’s advanced digital motor development team.

Dyson claims information about the motor was passed to Bosch vice president Dr Wolfgang Hirschburger.

The Dyson digital motor
The Dyson digital motor

Bosch has issued a statement saying that ‘Dyson employed an individual with a pre-existing consultancy agreement with Bosch Lawn and Garden Limited in relation to garden products, and not vacuum cleaners or hand dryers as Dyson implies.’

It adds, ‘Bosch has sought to establish the full details of what occurred, including attempting to establish from Dyson what, if any, confidential information supposedly passed between Bosch and Dyson.

The Dyson digital motor
The Dyson digital motor

Mark Taylor, Dyson research and development director, says, ‘Bosch’s Vice President for engineering employed a Dyson engineer and benefitted from our confidential know-how and expertise.  

‘We have spent over 15 years and £100m developing high-speed brushless motors, which power our vacuum cleaners and Airblade hand dryers.  We are demanding the immediate return of our intellectual property.’

The case continues.

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