RIM sues Motorola for `obstructing' employee hiring
24 Dec 2008
BlackBerry mobile phone maker Research in Motion is suing rival phone maker Motorola, alleging that the latter is blocking RIM from hiring some of the employees recently laid off by Motorola.
The Canadian firm, which was earlier sued by Motorola over a similar issue, said the latter's move comes after an agreement between the two companies "not to solicit each other's employees" ran out in August.
In a complaint filed in Chicago state court, RIM sought an order invalidating an agreement the companies reached this year not to solicit each other's employees, reports said.
RIM said the agreement had expired in August and was no longer enforceable, but Motorola was improperly trying to expand the agreement in a bid to thwart RIM entities' hiring of any Motorola employee, including those already fired by Motorola .
The lawsuit comes three months after Motorola sued RIM in Chicago for violation of the agreement. Motorola then wanted the court to bar RIM from using Motorola's confidential information or soliciting or hiring any Motorola employees.
The two companies had, in February, entered into an agreement under which they had both agreed to exchange information about confidential matters, which also barred them from poaching each other's employees.