Apple, Google and five other technology companies must face a lawsuit for violating antitrust laws, according to a federal judge. The two companies, along with Intel, Adobe, Pixar, Intuit and Lucasfilm, are accused of entering into agreements to not recruit each other’s employees. U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, California said on Thursday that even if the claims were dismissed, she would give the plaintiffs a chance to amend their complaint and refile it, reports Bloomberg. “They still have an antitrust claim that’s going forward so I don’t want to see any obstruction on discovery,” she told lawyers during a hearing.
The judge’s decision will result in each company being required to provided a detailed account of the agreements made with other companies. “We get to see what really happened,” said Joseph Saveri, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs. Saveri claims the damages could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
Google said in statement to Bloomberg that the company has “always actively and aggressively recruited top talent.” The other companies declined to comment after the hearing.
