Trade Secrets Litigation: Updates on Papermaster Case

I posted earlier on this case here and now the case moves on.

IBM Former Exec Ordered To Cease Work At Apple

Friday, a United States District court ordered Mark Papermaster, who was recently hired by Apple after he left his position at IBM, to cease work at the company, the decision having been aimed at preventing “Big Blue” trade secrets from being revealed to Apple.

The ruling from the U.S. District Court for Southern New York added that Papermaster was to stop working for Apple Incorporated until the court further ruled otherwise in the matter.

The U.S. District court is scheduled to reconvene with regards to the case on November 18.

Apple Exec Hired From IBM Ordered to Stop Work - News and Analysis by PC Magazine

Papermaster's lawyers contend the IBM focuses on large enterprise applications for businesses while Apple focuses on consumer electronics. They point to the fact that IBM allowed Papermaster to continue working at the company for two weeks after he announced his departure "with unfettered access to all of his files and to IBM's entire computer network."

Papermaster will "suffer severe hardship if he loses his dream job and is forced out of the rapidly changing electronics industry for a year," they contend.

Both sides will reconvene in court on November 18.