Ex-Microsoft Exec Sued Over Google Job

[darrenstraight]

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Tuesday, July 19, 2005 5:05 PM CDT

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. sued one of its former executives and Google Inc. on Tuesday, the same day the Internet search engine company announced it had hired Kai-Fu Lee to head up its first research-and-development center in China.

In a complaint filed in King County Superior Court, the Redmond-based software maker argued that by taking a job with a direct competitor, Lee broke a contract he signed when he joined Microsoft in 2000. Microsoft also accused Google of "intentionally assisting Lee."

"Accepting such a position with a direct Microsoft competitor like Google violates the narrow noncompetition promise Lee made when he was hired as an executive," Microsoft said in its lawsuit. "Google is fully aware of Lee's promises to Microsoft, but has chosen to ignore them, and has encouraged Lee to violate them."

Microsoft and Google, along with Yahoo Inc., are locked in a fierce battle to dominate search, both online and through desktop search programs. Google also has begun offering new services, including e-mail, that compete with Microsoft offerings.

Tom Burt, a lawyer for Microsoft, said Lee announced Monday he was leaving for the Google job and had given no indication that he planned to honor an agreement not to work for a direct competitor for one year.

"To the contrary, they're saying, 'In your face,'" Burt told The Associated Press.

Google did not immediately return a call for comment, and efforts to reach Lee were not successful.

Google, however, trumpeted Lee's hiring in a news release Tuesday, calling him a "respected computer scientist and industry pioneer" who will "lead the operation and serve as President of the company's growing Chinese operations." The news release did not mention the lawsuit or any noncompete clause.

The Google center in China is to open in the third quarter, Google said.

At Microsoft, Lee oversaw development of the company's MSN Internet search technology, including a desktop search service released earlier this year. In recent years, he has served as corporate vice president of the company's Interactive Services Division.

A service of the Associated Press(AP)

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[elnube]

Originally Posted by darrenstraight

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Wow - Go Lee! Microsoft are just jealous that Google are developing better stuff than them. Sucks to be them! =p