Apple, Intel, Google and Others Get Sued in California

It appears that yet another lawsuit involving top-tier IT players has sprouted, only this once it is not about patents but about alleged participation in a conspiracy meant to fix employee pay.

Antitrust lawsuits are a common occurrence on the IT market, because they not only sprout up often, but they usually take years to end.

Few, if any, companies, big or small, ever really get away during their time of existence without being called to court (or calling someone there) at least once.

In this instance, companies that could very well be classified as the biggest presences in this industry have become the target of the same class action lawsuit.

Filed on behalf of Siddharth Hariharan, a former software engineer at Lucasfilm and founder and CEO of InEarth, the court action accuses the firms of conspiring to limit employee pay and entering "No Solicitation" agreements with one another.

More specifically, it is claimed that skilled employees from Adobe, Google, Intel, Intuit, LucasFilm, Pixar and Apple were paid 10 to 15 percent less then they deserved.

"Competition in the labor market results in better salaries, enhanced career opportunities for employees, and better products for consumers," stated Joseph R. Saveri of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP law firm.

"We estimate that because of reduced competition for their services, compensation for skilled employees at Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar was reduced by 10 to 15 percent. These companies owe their tremendous successes to the sacrifices and hard work of their employees, and must take responsibility for their misconduct."

The complaint seeks treble damages and restitution for lost compensation and was filed in California Superior Court in Alameda County.

"It's disappointing that, while we were working hard to make terrific products that resulted in enormous profits for Lucasfilm, senior executives of the company cut deals with other premiere high tech companies to eliminate competition and cap pay for skilled employees," said Mr. Siddharth Hariharan.