Joby Hit With $116.9 Million Aerosonic Verdict as Archer Case Narrows

Two courtroom developments in a week have put intellectual property at the centre of the US electric air-taxi race. On 5 October, a jury sided with air data probe manufacturer Aerosonic in its trade-secrets case against Joby Aviation, awarding $116.9 million. Days earlier, on 29 September, a federal court had narrowed Joby’s own trade-secret suit against rival Archer Aviation.

The Aerosonic verdict

Aviation International News reported that the jury found for Aerosonic and returned a verdict of $116.9 million against the eVTOL developer. Aerosonic makes probes, the sensors that measure air data, and the case concerned its allegations that Joby misappropriated trade secrets relating to its products. The AIN report did not include a statement from Joby, and the court, the specific secrets at issue and the basis for the damages figure were not given in the material reviewed for this story.

Verdicts of this kind are normally followed by post-trial motions and, often, appeals, so the amount is not necessarily final. Joby has not been reported as having responded publicly at the time of writing.

Joby v. Archer

The other case runs in the opposite direction. Joby sued Archer in 2025, alleging that a former employee, George Kivork, who had directed Joby’s state and local policy efforts, took confidential materials when he moved to Archer. According to the complaint, a forensic investigation found that Kivork had sent dozens of Joby files to a personal email account and changed security permissions on hundreds more after leaving.

Joby alleges that Archer misused trade secrets covering business strategy, partnership terms and aircraft specifications, including an agreement with a real estate developer. It seeks unspecified damages and an injunction stopping Archer from using the information.

On 29 September the US District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed some of Joby’s trade-secret and contract claims, along with Archer’s counterclaims. The ruling was reported on 2 October. An earlier ruling, reported by Aviation Week in June, had let Joby’s core trade-secret claims against Archer and Kivork proceed while dismissing Archer’s counterclaims with permission to refile.

A litigious sector

The disputes show how crowded and competitive the eVTOL field has become. Archer settled similar claims brought by Boeing-owned Wisk in 2023 and has filed patent litigation against Vertical Aerospace. Both Joby and Archer are working towards FAA certification and early commercial operations, and both depend on a limited pool of specialist suppliers and engineers.

For investors and customers, the practical concerns are cost and distraction. Legal fees, possible damages and management time all draw on resources that the companies would otherwise devote to flight testing and certification. Whether the Aerosonic award changes Joby’s financial position will depend on whether it survives post-trial review, and the company has not said how it would be funded if it stands.

The Archer case continues on the remaining claims.