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Newsjock

(11,733 posts)
Fri Apr 5, 2013, 03:09 PM Apr 2013

Apple, Google, Intel likely conspired to not poach workers, judge rules

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Finding strong evidence that Silicon Valley powerhouses such as Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG) and Intel (INTC) had an "anti-poaching" pact not to raid rival work forces, a federal judge on Friday sent the strongest signals yet those companies face a tough challenge defending allegations raised by tens of thousands of employees.

In a 53-page ruling filed shortly after midnight, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose found the employees have turned up damaging evidence that top executives from those valley stalwarts, including late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, had side deals with each other to take a hands-off approach to stealing each others' most coveted workers, particularly in the engineering ranks.

The most damaging evidence Koh cited were email exchanges among the CEOs, all previously made public but used for the first time by the judge in assessing the strength of the case against the seven companies accused of the anti-poaching conduct. Those companies are Apple, Adobe (ADBE), Google, Intel, Intuit (INTU), Lucasfilm and Pixar.

Koh's findings were contained in a decision on whether to allow the case to proceed as a class-action on behalf of an estimated 100,000 employees, which would present a more formidable legal obstacle for the companies and raise the prospect of significant damages if they lose at trial.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22962030/apple-google-intel-likely-conspired-not-poach-workers

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