Plane maker Bombardier has filed a US lawsuit alleging Mitsubishi Aircraft hired dozens of Bombardier employees purely to gain access to trade secrets.
It all relates to the process of obtaining regulatory approvals in Canada and the US for Bombardier C Series jets.
Bombardier alleges Mitsubishi targeted and hired employees with experience of the certification process and gained access to confidential documents from these employees.
"The process is incredibly costly, time-consuming, and complex — even for the most experienced of aircraft manufacturers who have gone through that process and developed trade secrets to face it more efficiently,” the suit says.
"Bombardier has spent about a decade and several billion dollars bringing the C Series from concept to realization."
Mitsubishi denies the claims and will contest the action in court, a spokesperson said.
The lawsuit also targets Aerospace Testing Engineering & Certification which works with Mitsubishi on its MRJ jet program.
"We don’t take this issue lightly. Bombardier intends to take all necessary measures to protect its intellectual property," Bombardier spokesman Simon Letendre told The Canadian Press.
Bombardier is seeking unspecified financial damages and a cease and desist order blocking Mitsubishi from recruiting any more Bombardier employees.
