...hire Lee sparked an immediate legal battle between the two companies, which have increasingly emerged as one another's top competitors. The search company announced on 19 July that it was hiring Lee to head a new research centre in China, with Microsoft immediately suing to block the move.
Google filed a countersuit in California court to invalidate the pact with Microsoft. That case has been moved to federal court in San Jose.
Microsoft's request for the injunction was filed some time ago, but only made public on Friday after both sides had an opportunity to redact confidential information.
A representative for Microsoft did not comment beyond the filing. A Google representative was not immediately available for comment. (Google representatives have instituted a policy of not talking with CNET News.com reporters until July 2006 in response to privacy issues raised by a previous story.)
In the latest documents, Microsoft also charges that Lee began advising Google on China recruiting and China strategy while he was still working on those issues for Microsoft.
"In early June 2005, Dr Lee engaged in active email correspondence with Google employees... regarding specific candidates that Google was considering — or candidates Dr Lee wanted them to consider — for Google's China R&D facility," Microsoft said in the filing. "Dr. Lee gave detailed feedback and Google acted on his recommendations."
The filing cites examples of Lee's work on Microsoft's China strategy, including a white paper Making it in China: strategic recommendations for Microsoft . The software maker said it was "surprised and disappointed" to learn that Lee had forwarded an edited version of that paper to Google on June 7, while he was still a Microsoft employee. The version he sent, the Windows maker said, removed the "Microsoft Confidential" notation as well as credit to other Microsoft contributors and the chapter entitled "recommendations for Microsoft".
Microsoft also said in the filing that Lee also "advised Google on the possibility of recruiting candidates in China from Microsoft" noting that Intel and Microsoft were the best opportunity to get technological leads for projects, but that recruiting from both would be difficult. Microsoft also cites an email response Lee got from Google vice president Omid Kordestani, in which the Google executive writes that "it was nice talking to you and learning about your insights into a successful approach to Google's operations in China."
Talkback
Microsoft are hypocrites. Microsoft would collect people from Borland in a limousine and over a period of 30 months, it lured away 34 employees of Borland by offering ridiculously large salaries and $1 million signing bonuses in several cases. The "brain drain" finally ended when Borland filed a lawsuit and Microsoft did what they usually do – settle out of court.
If anyone plays dirty, its not difficult to see where they may have picked it up from.
Errrr. Nothing here that actually makes indisputable that the "evidence" in the eleged e-mails actually describe the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Fact is that "e-mails" can easily be manufactured.
Until then this is nothing more then PR, FUD, campaining, whatever. But if I was Microsoft I would make damn sure that I could proof to the smallest detail that what I'm blabbing around the world. And I would make damn sure that I wouldn't use my existing monopoly in any way to create another monopoly (or unfair market advantage). Because I know that I would find myself in court yet again and having to pay out sums that won't make my share holders very happy. Certainly because they know that the only way to make up for that loss is to charge existing customers even more for even less. Not good for business. Not good for PR. So what the top of Microsoft needs is a clear headed guy with a solid reputation.
A word of advice to bully boy Ballmer "SHUT YOUR FREAKIN MOUTH " you aint worth the price of a piece of USED toilet paper ( and for those out there that lack the brain to work this one out then use a piece of toilet paper for it's designed use and then see how much you can get for it on the street ) GET THE IDEA ..
Is Ballmer the guy who throws chairs, if so he is behaving just like my four year old Grand-baby, who throws his toys.
He (Ballmer) is a badly behaved little boy who cannot stand the heat and should get the **** out of the kitchen, in a four year old that kind of behaviour is "correctable" but in an adult it is inexcusable,.
If I want to find info - I Google for it - they have been good servants to me since I got a computer, they were recommended by my engineer
Patricia