A US judge has denied the request for a class action certification in a long-running antitrust lawsuit which accused companies like Apple and Google of signing an agreement not to recruit each others’ employees.
The lawsuit was filed by five employees in 2011 against Apple, Google, Intuit, Intel, Adobe Systems, Walt Disney’s Pixar animation unit, and Lucasfilm.
US District Judge Lucy Koh said that five employees are yet to show adequate information that they have been affected by the anti-poaching agreements signed by the companies.
Koh said: "The court is most concerned about whether the evidence will be able to show that the defendants maintained such rigid compensation structures that a suppression of wages to some employees would have affected all or nearly all class members."
Koh allowed plantiffs to renew their request for class action status and said she will revisit the case in the future.
Kelly Dermody, a lawyer for the employees, was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that, "Plaintiffs appreciate the court’s thorough consideration of the evidence and are prepared to address the court’s concerns fully in a renewed motion."
Recently, it was revealed that Facebook chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg may be questioned later this month as part of the antitrust lawsuit.
Google chief executive officer Larry Page, Lucasfilm CEO George Lucas and Apple CEO Tim Cook have already been questioned in the lawsuit.
The companies are accused of violating the Sherman Act and Clayton Act antitrust laws by ‘joining hands’ to remove competition for labour, depriving employees the right to fair compensation and mobility.
