Apple recently recruited a top chip designer from IBM, resulting in a lawsuit that seeks to prevent the executive from taking his knowledge as “IBM’s top expert in Power architecture and technology” to the Mac maker.
Mark Papermaster, who served as IBM’s vice president of microprocessor technology development, is set to join Apple within the next couple weeks to begin working closely with chief executive Steve Jobs. According to a report by Tom Krazit of CNet News, IBM’s complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York indicates that IBM believes this is “an attempt to expand Apple’s presence in the markets for servers and chips for handheld devices.”
IBM has issued a statement saying “Mr. Papermaster’s employment by Apple is a violation of his agreement with IBM against working for a competitor should he leave IBM. We will vigorously pursue this case in court.”
AppleInsider is making available both a copy of IBM’s 10-page complaint [PDF], as well as the 7-page noncompete agreement [PDF] signed by Papermaster in June of 2006.
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