Anti-Poaching Lawsuit Against Apple, Google and Others Given the Green Light

An anonymous reader writes "A class action lawsuit against Apple, Google and a number of other high-profile tech companies has been given the green light by U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh. The lawsuit stems from anti-poaching agreements that Apple a number of tech companies entered into from 2005 through 2009. Parties to the agreement all promised not to recruit employees from one another. The companies involved include Apple, Intel, Google, Intuit, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Adobe."

Time to update California laws

[hwstar]

Time to add anti-poaching to the California Business and Professions code to make it strictly forbidden. This keeps coming up year-after year. There needs to be a law to protect the free market for talent. California should lead the way, but it would be really nice to see it at the Federal level as well.

Lawyer settle

[Kohath]

Typical class actions: Lawyers will settle for $20 million dollars for the lawyers and $3 for each person who didn't get a job.

Re:Where's the union?

[Anonymous Coward]

>>even non-union employees have rights, too?

Indeed, which is why we're reading an article about how prohibitions against unionizing helped prevent anti-poaching agreements between corporations.

Ah who am I kidding, what I just typed makes about as much sense as what you typed, and is loaded with just as much bias!

Re:I'm confused

[Chalnoth]

Pretty sure that anti-poaching agreements actually lead to people getting paid less, as there isn't as much competition between companies for salaries.

Re:Employment Contracts for stellar peformers

[spiffmastercow]

Let the free market work its magic. Companies should start using employment contracts for stellar performers so that they don't have to fear them leaving for competitors, and the contract can be renegotiated every 2-3 years, if the stellar employee doesn't like the terms, they can walk when the contract expires.

And once your anti-poaching agreement kicks in, that employee will spend 6 months unemployed, then come back begging for the same job at half the pay! Free market FTW!

Re:Employment Contracts for stellar peformers

[Anonymous Coward]

Right, because they're paid so well, they can easily afford to bank a year's worth of living expenses. Why don't you just come right out an admit you want to reinstate slavery? Oh, excuse me, "indentured servitude".

Re:Wellcome to corporate captialism

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, right...all we need to do is get rid of "Big Gov" and then "Big Biz" fix it all for us.
I don't know about you, but in my life I've been screwed a lot more by "Big Biz" than by "Big Gov".