Judge Orders Apple Hire to Cease Work Over Competition Clause

Cupertino, Calif. -- A federal judge has ordered Apple's new head of engineering for its iPhone and iPod teams, Mark Papermaster, to cease working for the Cupertino-based company while the court examines whether his employment at Apple violates a competition clause in the contract with former employer IBM, Reuters reported. "We will comply with the court's order but are confident that Mark Papermaster will be able to ultimately join Apple when the dust settles," an Apple spokesperson told Reuters. Papermaster's attorneys argued before Federal District Court Judge Kenneth Karas that IBM's enforcement of the non-compete clause "would be incredibly damaging to [Papermaster's] career." Papermaster previously had worked at IBM for 25 years. His attorneys said that he would not be able to return to the company, given the litigation.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN0743124420081108