Microsoft settles with Google over executive hire

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This doesn't help Microsoft in China, not at all!

From: [url=http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/12/24/231001/Microsoft__Google_settle_ex_exec__039_s_job_contract.htm]Microsoft, Google settle ex-exec's job contract[/url]

Microsoft needs more revenue from China to revive global sales growth, which the company has said dipped to a record low 8 percent in the year ended on June 30.

Legal evaluation of it (by a lawyer) was as follows:

"I suspect Microsoft believed it had a pretty good chance of getting the entire year of the non-compete enforced by the judge in Seattle," said Anthony Oncidi, an employment lawyer at Proskauer Rose in Los Angeles who isn't involved in the dispute. "I'm speculating that Microsoft started the negotiation by saying they wanted Lee not to work for the remaining seven months of his agreement."

Dr. Lee is working now and the delay is not going to happen, so Microsoft did not get what they wanted.

What Microsoft won was as follows:

a temporary ruling enforcing an employment contract signed by Lee that barred him from working on some technical projects at competitors.

Dr. Lee is now working for Google, so much for a win by Microsoft! They are both trying to get business going in China, a major growing market!

If Microsoft had actually won anything significant, Dr. Lee would not be working for another 5 months, he is working now (at Google) and the 1 year "non-compete" clause is not applicable if he is not working on the same thing as he was at Microsoft, reports from Google and Microsoft indicate that he is recruiting people for Google which does not violate the non-compete clause.

From: [url= http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aw1ATzSoc3wM&refer=top_world_news]Google, Microsoft Settle Dispute Over Kai-Fu Lee[/url] Dec. 22 (Bloomberg)

Microsoft had won a ruling in Washington state court barring Lee from working on some technical projects at Google.

This means that he can do recruiting, what Google is paying him for (though not from Microsoft). He is the second defection from Microsoft to Google in recent news.

Posted by: B.O.F.H.   Posted on: 12/23/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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