Spies on a plane

Panasonic stole in-flight tech: lawsuit

A Panasonic Corp. unit secretly bugged a room where its business partner was holding a crucial meeting so it could steal information to use against the company, the jilted partner claims in a lawsuit.

The sensitive and proprietary info Panasonic Avionics swiped was related to the software used to run its inflight entertainment systems, the lawsuit claims.

The partner, CoKinetic Systems Corp., said Panasonic bugged a meeting with Emirates Airlines at the carrier’s lab so Panasonic could learn how to make CoKinetic software fail to work with in-flight entertainment systems on Emirates planes.

By souring the CoKineticEmirates relationship, Panasonic could swoop in and have its own software replace that of CoKinetic, the lawsuit claims.

“Panasonic has carried out a relentless campaign to maintain monopoly control over the software and media services used by airlines around the world,” Todd Higgins, a lawyer for CoKinetic, said in the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court.

CoKinetic had a 10-year partnership with Panasonic until it recently soured.

Over that period, CoKinetic software had powered Panasonic seat-back screens aboard several airlines, including Delta and Virgin America.

Panasonic also bribed airline executives to drop CoKinetic, it is alleged.

CoKinetic learned about the alleged bugs from a Panasonic whistle blower — who was then fired by Panasonic, the lawsuit claims.

Panasonic Avionics also gave Delta Airlines officials free televisions to influence them, the suit says.

The lawsuit continues a rocky 2017 for the Panasonic unit.

In February, it disclosed that the Justice Department was investigating allegations that Panasonic has bribed foreign officials.

The same month, Paul Margis, the unit’s longtime chief executive, and Paul Bottiaux, its chief financial officer, left the company.

Panasonic Avionics did not return calls for comment.