Apple Seeks to Resolve Poaching Lawsuit

By Mike Ramsey 

Apple Inc. is pursuing a resolution to the lawsuit filed by battery maker A123 Systems Inc. over Apple's efforts to poach high-level battery engineers and chemists, according to a filing made Tuesday in federal district court in Massachusetts.

In the filing, Apple asked for--and was later granted--an extension until March 11 to file a response to the lawsuit while it pursues a settlement. A123 supported the delay, according the filing. The lawsuit claims that five employees left the Waltham, Mass.-based battery company to work for Apple, starting last year and that one of the employees actively recruited the others, violating a contract signed by the employees.

A123 said it believes Apple is using the employees to start a battery operation that could compete with its own business. The employees from A123 were involved in advanced automotive battery applications. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Apple has assembled a team of 200 to work on an electric car under a project code named "Titan" and that the group was adding up to 800 more people.

A123 said the poaching had crippled its ongoing battery projects and that the workers who were hired by Apple were very difficult to replace because of the highly technical nature of their expertise.

Thomson Reuters reported the filing earlier.

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