Archer and Joby both claim victory in latest round of legal battle

Court fight set to rumble on ever as judge’s order dismisses claims and counterclaims from the two eVTOL developers.

A federal judge has dismissed Archer Aviation’s claims involving allegations that competitor Joby Aviation committed fraud by concealing business ties with China.

But the judge on 5 June also threw out some of Joby’s claims related to Archer allegedly stealing and misusing trade secrets.

The rulings are the latest development in a court spat between two of the better known developers of electric air taxis.

Archer and Joby are not only battling in court but also racing to achieve certification and service entry for their electric aircraft.

The legal dispute started in November 2025 when Joby sued Archer and an Archer employee on grounds that they allegedly stole and misappropriated trade secrets.

Joby’s claims included that Archer used stolen trade secrets to strike a deal with a real estate developer who was, at that point, a partner of Joby.

Archer denies the allegation. It fired back with a 9 March countersuit, alleging that Joby hid business ties to China’s communist party and misclassified imported Chinese goods on shipping records, and that a Joby subsidiary received technology development grants from Beijing.

Joby did so, Archer alleged, while positioning itself as dedicated to US industry and innovation, helping it secure US government contracts, including those with the US Air Force.

Archer said it suffered economic harm as a result of Joby’s “fraud”; Joby denies wrongdoing.

But in a 5 June ruling, judge Susan Van Keulen with the US District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed Archer’s countersuit, describing the complaint as “vague” and otherwise insufficiently specific.

“Archer’s presentation of its counterclaims is muddled,” the judge writes. “Archer’s counterclaims are an example of shotgun pleadings”, she adds – meaning claims that lack sufficient detail, hindering Joby’s ability to respond.

Nonetheless, Van Keulen’s ruling permits Archer to amend and refile its countersuit by 29 June.

“We fully intend to do so and look forward to holding Joby accountable,” Archer says, adding that the dismissal was “primarily procedural in nature”.

Unsurprisingly, Joby sees things differently: “Archer’s ludicrous and defamatory counterclaims were nothing more than a baseless attempt to distract from Joby’s trade secret misappropriation case proceeding against Archer,” it says.

Archer also in April filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission (USITC), alleging that Joby’s imported Chinese components infringed Archer’s patents. A USITC investigation is ongoing.

But Judge Van Keulen’s order did also dismiss many of Joby’s original trade secret claims, including those related to stolen technical trade secrets. Joby has until 22 June to refile some of the allegations.

She left in place Joby’s claim that Archer and its employee, George Kivork, interfered with an agreement giving Joby rights to develop air taxi “skydecks” on property owned by a real estate developer.

Joby alleged that Kivork, who was previously employed by it, knew the terms of the deal and shared them with Archer, which used the “stolen information” to offer the developer a better deal. It said the developer then sought to cancel its agreement with Joby.

“Misappropriation is sufficiently pleaded,” the judge’s order says, allowing the case to proceed.

Both companies claim partial victories with the rulings.

“We are very pleased with the court’s decision to dismiss the vast majority of Joby’s meritless claims against Archer and Mr Kivork,” Archer says.

“We are pleased and not surprised that Joby’s core trade secret claims against Archer and Mr Kivork will move forward,” says Joby.