http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_google;_ylt=Avlb7zQBH4CzbNu2HbV.6Q.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3cjE0b2MwBHNlYwM3Mzg- A new google employee broke a non compete agreement with microsoft where he was an exec. Lets see who wins the battle
Miscrosoft will have to sure goog I think. Lee in in China, I'm not sure that they can touch him. I am probably wrong though.
Might want to check where you have already posted http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showpost.php?p=244045&postcount=4
This does not look good for google : http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Google&word2=Microsoft
Non-compete agrements are a part of the corporate way, they are legal and binding. It is up to the courts if it was a legally binding document between the 2. If broken, it would be considered a breach of contract and rather hard to wiggle out of...
HOWEVER. . . the courts have always taken a dim view towards non-compete agreements. The right of a worker to use his skills to make a living often wins out. So if his agreement says "can't work in the software industry" this argument might hold up.
I think MSFT might just win this one . After all, search is a cutthroat business and I don't think Bill will let this one pass. The Courts might see MSFT's complaint as valid because (from what I understand) Lee was specifically prohibited to work with search technology for one year after leaving. Microsoft is probably going to say that he could have worked in another field for that period. Hey, he signed the contract and now Google is going to pay the price for hiring him. Although I think it might be worth it considering what Lee could bring to the table.
Google needs to be taken down a peg or two, they're getting waaaaaaaaay too big for their britches. Right now they can basically do whatever the hell they want. And yes, I'm just ticked that they have basically banned me completely from their index for no good reason, but it's still great to see Goliath take some lumps, even if it's from another Goliath with nary a David in sight.
Google Sues Microsoft, Defends Hiring of Executive (Update2) July 21, 2005 22:39 EDT -- Google Inc., the most-used Internet search engine, sued Microsoft Corp. today as part of a legal battle over Google's hiring of a Microsoft executive to run its Chinese research center.