Following up on Trade Secret News: IBM, Apple and a Papermaster

I mentioned the Papermaster case in my Trade Secret News: IBM, Apple and a Papermaster. The Apple Blog gives us iPod Chief Switch: What it Could Mean for Apple and gives us some more insight into the business considerations of the case:

While it is unlikely that any ruling body would ultimately find in favor of IBM (such a precedent would seriously hamper healthy executive level staff flow in Silicon Valley), that doesn’t mean the two companies could become entangled in a protracted and expensive legal battle. So why is IBM is even threatening? They want a parting gift for the loss of Papermaster, most likely information on what he’ll be working on at Apple, although they might even try to force a limited IP share on the grounds that their proprietary knowledge is being used in the ex-VP’s work.

It’s a shrewd move, but Apple can always decide to just drop Papermaster and look elsewhere if IBM pushes too hard. Although they’re hard-pressed for time now that it’s official that engineer Tony Fadell will be stepping down next month as SVP of the iPod division.