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。[1]MCP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].