MCP初创公司Runlayer指控Rippling窃取产品理念

AI基础设施初创公司Runlayer对人力资源软件企业Rippling提起诉讼，指控其在产品合作期间窃取了自身的MCP网关产品理念和源代码。1根据Runlayer的说法，双方进行了"近一年的密集工程合作"，1并签署了相互保密协议和产品试用协议，其中明确禁止复制知识产权或制作衍生作品。1

Runlayer称收到Rippling内部人士告知，该公司"正在开发的项目本质上是Runlayer的克隆，几乎是1对1的复制"。1尽管双方最终未能在价格上达成一致，1但Runlayer声称Rippling在试用结束后仍推出了一款几乎完全复制其产品的方案。1

对此，Rippling发言人否认了这些指控，声称"Runlayer的产品本质上是基于我们的专有信息，我们有充分理由在这个市场上获胜"。1

Runlayer已融资4200万美元，投资方包括Khosla Ventures和Felicis。1MCP协议由Anthropic在2024年11月作为开源协议推出。1

Runlayer, an AI infrastructure startup, has accused HR software company Rippling of misappropriating its MCP gateway product concept and source code following a failed partnership negotiation 1. The two companies engaged in approximately one year of intensive engineering collaboration under a mutual nondisclosure agreement and product trial agreement that explicitly prohibited intellectual property replication or derivative works 1. According to Runlayer, when trial discussions ended over pricing disagreements, Rippling proceeded to develop a product that Runlayer claims is nearly identical to its own 1. The startup stated it received information from insiders indicating that Rippling's project "is essentially a Runlayer clone, almost a one-to-one copy" 1.

Rippling has disputed these allegations, with a company spokesperson asserting that "Runlayer's product is essentially based on our proprietary information, and we have good reason to win in this market" 1. Rippling indicated it intends to launch a product built on its own technology 1.

Runlayer has raised $42 million in funding from investors including Khosla Ventures and Felicis 1. The Model Context Protocol, which underpins the MCP gateway product at the center of the dispute, was released as an open-source protocol by Anthropic in November 2024 1.