back to article Tim Cook slurped our brains, snarl fat battery bods A123

Battery manufacturer A123 Systems, specialists in large-scale battery tech for vehicles and power grids, has slung a sueball at Apple for allegedly poaching its engineers. The case concerns five former employees of A123 currently employed by Apple, according to a court filing released on Tuesday. While employed by A123, the …

  1. phil dude
    Alert

    pay them more....

    I laugh when I read these sorts of things.

    Just pay them more, perhaps they'll stay.

    But it is good Tony Stark Elon Musk is rattling some cages...

    P.

    1. Mr.Mischief

      Re: pay them more....

      I guess confidentiality clauses shouldn't be applicable as long as another company pays them more than you do.

      1. Richard Taylor 2

        Re: pay them more....

        So who says they are not maintaining confidentiality? Oh yes, their ex employer who is coincidentally suing their new one. Pass the sick bag Alice.

  2. Bob Dole (tm)

    Illegal?

    This is so funny.

    Previously Apple and several other large Silicon Valley companies were in trouble because they agreed not to hire each others people. Now they are in trouble for hiring a competitors team.

    Just too funny

  3. thames

    Serfdom?

    "Poaching its engineers"? So these people are serfs belonging to A123 Systems? Funny how staff are an unwanted liability one moment, and valuable corporate property the next.

    Let's look at things another way - "In 2012, A123 Systems announced that it was filing for bankruptcy". No, I can't possibly imagine why anyone would want to leave A123 Systems and go work for one of the world's most profitable and successful companies.

    I once lived in a small town which had a major employer whose production process was steadily poisoning its employees. There wasn't a lot of alternative employment without leaving the area. A new factory opened up and workers quit the other employer in droves and took a pay cut to work for the new one in order to work in a healthier environment. The first company took the legal route, filing outright lies in court to get an injunction preventing this sort of "poaching". It's funny how our corporate masters are so keen on the free market when it comes to things which might limit their ability to make money, but go running crying to the government for protection when their employees try to take advantage of that free market for themselves.

    1. JEDIDIAH

      Re: Serfdom?

      Well, trade secrets are still a thing.

      This is the secret sauce that makes your product more competitive than anyone elses. If it is valuable enough, you keep it entirely to yourself rather than making it public and sharing it with the world (like what a patent is supposed to be).

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Serfdom?

        In that case, any lawsuit should be about "trade secrets". But there is a point... they filed bankruptcy and I would imagine that they let go of staff. If you're an engineer, R&D type, etc., where else are you going to find work except at a competitor? I'm sure if it were the other way around A123 wouldn't be upset at all.

        1. Bobcat4424

          Re: Serfdom?

          They filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and had no layoffs. The bankruptcy was due to the failure of Fiskar cars which used custom A123 battery sets. The people Apple hired signed very specific non-disclosure and trade secrets documents. Apple promised to pick up anyt legal bills (which is illegal) in hiring them. This is very typically Apple which has been in and out of trouble with the SEC, regulators, and anyone else who finds their predatory money-madness obnoxious.

      2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
        Holmes

        Re: Serfdom?

        This is the secret sauce that makes your product more competitive than anyone elses.

        Here is a free-market idea: If that idea is so valuable, then the NDA should be accompanied with a payout to keep the engineer's mouth sealed (may have to be done through a bank account to be liberated in 10y time). Not with a threat to sue. Might work better.

        1. Ragarath

          Re: Serfdom? @DAM

          So your saying that a "bribe" must be offered to the employee so that they actually stick to what they agree to?

          I'm sure there's a name for something like that, mmmmm, extortion maybe? Might you be advocating more illegal acts to stop another illegal act?

          Not saying the poaching thing is right, or that they have given the "secrets" away. But advocating extortion is not a free market idea.

          1. soldinio

            Re: Serfdom? @DAM

            This isn't really a bribe. It is closer to paying compensation for limiting their prospects of getting a new job in their chosen field. No more illegal than paying garden leave and prohibiting taking up employment with competitor for a set amount of time.

  4. NoneSuch Silver badge

    The car is actually a mobile battery pack for an iPhone so it can go 12 hours between charges.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Since you have the scoop, how much is the car's replacement charger cable?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        if you have to ask, you can't afford it...

  5. Mr.Mischief

    Ah Apple can poach other companies employees and copy other companies technologies, but god forbid someone does it to them.

    What was it? Thermonuclear war?

    1. Robert Grant

      That was for a much harder thing to develop: a grid of icons with rounded corners. Wow, I still get chills about it even now.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Every worker will take a job that pays more. Where is the poaching? Did Apple hang around outside A123's office with a job offer stand? If you have the skills Apple wants, you are likely to make a beeline for Apple. I know I would.

  6. disgruntled yank

    Headline

    The headline looks as if it might work for the zombie edition of your Post-Pub Nosh series.

  7. handle

    A123?

    I hope it's not related to 123A cos that's a rather small battery.

  8. albell

    The Chinese complaining someone is stealing their technology! LOL!

    I hope Apples steals every engineer this Chinese-owned company has! HA!

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re.LOL!

    I sent A123 an email with some of my diagnostics ideas so they could find bad cells before they could fail in use.

  10. horatiofisk

    You rocket scientists do know that Apple and its factories like Foxcon are the #1 user of rechargeable lithium ion batteries on the planet... You do know that. Right????

    Its like McDonalds 'poaching' a French fry engineer from Burger King.

  11. Riquin

    It is a free country.

    I am retired now but worked on high technology all my life this is another example of big corporations trying to have slave engineers. Engineers always change jobs periodically to enhance their knowledge and salaries.

    High technology is getting periodic assaults by government like the new regulations to the internet and corporations wanting slave engineers.

    NOTHING NEW!!!!!

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