lpq's Journal: DOJ investigating Apple-Google-Microsoft conspiracy

The US. Dept. of Justice looks at a "good-ol'-boys-club" ("gentleman's"[sic]) agreement to not hire each other's employees. While some sources slant the practice in a more business friendly way that the only activity that might be at issue is 'one employer trying to woo(poach) away others from their a member of their 'in-group', others point at the illegal practice and still others go the extra mile and give examples of what could easily be considered anti-competitive business practices that harm employees who might look to one of the other 'conspiring' companies for a better fit or better pay. That level of competitive restriction between the largest employers could have a noticeable and adverse effect on employee salaries and could be the basis for the DOJ's involvement.

If large companies agree not to compete for each other's employees, then employees at one of those companies would find themselves locked out of valuable (in terms of experience, and personal satisfaction, as well as monetary) job offers among the controlling clique.

Of interest are are the inter-collaborations of giants such as Microsoft, Apple and Google. Having MS & Apple, who often over extend their idea of what is their proprietary property, extend it to their employees isn't entirely surprising (though the fact that they are supposedly competitors is more than a bit suspicious), but 'do no evil'[sic?] Google?: seems a bad sign. Also mentioned were Yahoo and Genentech.

To thicken interest, the WSJ article points out that Apple and Google share at least two members on their boards of directors.

I guess the question of whether or not Google will refrain from 'doing evil', is no longer so much of a question if they are in bed with Apple and engaging in "Gentleman's"[sic!] non-compete agreements with Microsoft, in regards to employee talent.