In plus to shutting down Megaupload , the DOJ made another choice chunk of information public last night : grounds of multiple Silicon Valley company conspire to not poach each other ’s employees . On the surface , it may voice like tepid 60 minutes industry fodder , but it ’s something that touch all of us through the product we use .
grant to documents unveil by TechCrunch , a DOJ investigation drudged up proof that Adobe , Apple , Google , Intel , Intuit , LucasFilm and Pixar all made agreements with one another to not only refrain from hold up after an employee from one of the other companies , but to not make them an offer if an employee voluntarily offered . The most outstanding instance being an electronic mail from Adobe CEO to Steve Jobs making explicit cite of such an agreement . The DOJ called this anti - militant , and now these troupe face a year - action case .
TechCrunch – High - Tech Employee Antitrust Litigation – Exhibit Joint Case Management Conference Statement 1 … flick to consider
But more than just quelling the scourge of a company losing employee , behaviour like this can make a mountain chain effect . Not have to worry about fall behind an employee to another company give an kit less incentive to offer hike and/or promotions to deserving workers . That , in turn , can engender job dissatisfaction and poor morale for those who feel they ca n’t work their way up . And consider these are all firms who beget production we all like and use , why would an employee who does n’t worry about their caper upkeep about working their hardest to help make grow something Modern and awing ? Then you get stuck with stinking products .
For their part , the companies contend that this accord was not made en masse , but rather individual agreements were struck between certain companies , though the DOJ believes they have evidence point to the opposite .
… document commonwealth that there is “ hard evidence that the companies knew about the other express agreement , pattern their own agreements off of them , and operated them at the same time with the others to accomplish the same aim . ”
If these companies choose to finalize or plead guilty , a large , large pct of people employed at these companies may be entitled to a payout . Which they very well may merit . [ TechCrunch ]
Image viaPiotr Marcinski / Shutterstock
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