article way back in 2010
http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/24/anti-poaching-agreements/
DoJ Confirms And Settles Apple/Google Anti-Poaching Deal. Apple And Adobe Had One Too?!
Back in June of last year, a report in The Washington Post stated that the U.S. Department of Justice had begun a probe looking into the hiring practices of some of techs biggest companies. The probe was at its early stages at that point, but they were specifically looking into if any companies had agreements in place not to recruit one anothers workers. In August of last year, we reported that two of those companies, Apple and Google, did have such an agreement in place and we even obtained an email that seemed to confirm it. Neither Google nor Apple responded to our request for a comment on the issue. Of course, they couldnt sidestep the DoJ so easily. And today, the government is announcing a settlement on the issue.
Specifically, the DoJ is saying it is settling with six companies Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, and Pixar ensuring that they will not enter into no solicitation agreements for employees going forward. In the complaint and settlement proposal theyre filing today, the DoJ is saying their findings indicate that there were agreements in place between a mixture of these companies over the years that prevented poaching. Heres how they outlined it:
According to the complaint, the six companies entered into agreements that restrained competition between them for highly skilled employees. The agreements between Apple and Google, Apple and Adobe, Apple and Pixar and Google and Intel prevented the companies from directly soliciting each others employees. An agreement between Google and Intuit prevented Google from directly soliciting Intuit employees.
Again, Apple and Google is the one we reported on.The DoJ says:
Beginning no later than 2006, Apple and Google executives agreed not to cold call each others employees. Apple placed Google on its internal Do Not Call List, which instructed employees not to directly solicit employees from the listed companies. Similarly, Google listed Apple among the companies that had special agreements with Google and were part of the Do Not Cold Call list.