'Palm Rejected Apple Proposal Not to Hire Each Other's Workers'
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 21st Aug 2009 05:06 UTC
Talk, Rumors, X Versus Y As it turns out, the relationship between Apple and Palm is even less amicable than we already thought it to be. Bloomberg got their hands on communications between Ed Colligan, then-CEO of Palm, and Steve Jobs in which Jobs made a proposal in which the two companies would promise to refrain from hiring each other's employees. Colligan, however, rejected the proposal, calling it wrong and "likely illegal".
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Sounds illegal, but
by MollyC on Fri 21st Aug 2009 11:40 UTC
MollyC
Member since:
2006-07-04

I don't know if mere talk (earnest talk, not just idle talk) is illegal without actually doing the deed. For some laws, making a propsal (in earnest) itself is illegal regardless of whether the proposal is ever implemented.

A trial would be time consuming and messy. Let's just have the EC fine Apple 1.5 billion for proposing collusion with Palm, then fine Apple and Google 1.5 billion each for the Apple/Goole collusion, and we can just move on, secure in the knowledge that justice was done. :p

Reply Score: 2

RE: Sounds illegal, but
by rajan r on Fri 21st Aug 2009 20:33 in reply to "Sounds illegal, but"
rajan r Member since:
2005-07-27

The EC can only do that if such agreements hinder competition. Is Google's dominant position in its market becoming much stronger simply because they can't poach Apple's employees and vice versa?

Your (and Palm's) definition of collusion is just a little too wide.

Reply Parent Score: 1

Um, the EC does what it wants.
by MollyC on Sat 22nd Aug 2009 17:47 in reply to "RE: Sounds illegal, but"
MollyC Member since:
2006-07-04

Whether something "hinders competition or not" is simply based on the EC's say-so. I don't expect them to say so in this, since the companies involved are the EC's blessed children. If Intel or Microsoft were doing these things, the fines would have already been levied.

Reply Parent Score: 2