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HP Sues Hurd For Joining Oracle

Posted by Soulskill on from the following-the-hurd dept.

CWmike writes "Hewlett-Packard is reported to be suing former CEO Mark Hurd, who was named co-president of rival Oracle on Monday. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news, and has now posted the full text of the suit on Google Docs. Among other things, it says, 'In his new positions, Hurd will be in a situation in which he cannot perform his duties for Oracle without necessarily using and disclosing HP's trade secrets and confidential information to others.'"

5 of 301 comments (clear)

  1. Isn't that what the parachute is for? by strangeattraction · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You are given the parachute in return for the non-compete clause. Therefore you are being compensated for not just getting fired and going to the competition and spilling your guts. The grace period lets your knowledge specific to the company go out of date.

    1. Re:Isn't that what the parachute is for? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You are given the parachute in return for the non-compete clause.

      Maybe a little bit. But I think it's more for not airing dirty laundry that might have bad impacts on the stock price.

      But mostly, you're given the golden parachute so that you will return the favor in kind at the corporations where you sit on the board. Isn't that how the game is played?

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
  2. Re:You shouldn't have fired him then. by zero_out · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He made lots of money for stockholders, but at the expense of the employees. Remember, CEOs work for the company, which is defined as the shareholders. They often view their employees as resources to be exploited, like untapped oil reserves, or forests full of uncut trees. To this end, they are employers, with the power to hire and fire. Good employers take care of their employees. Bad ones exploit them. According to many current and former HP employees, Mark Hurd served the shareholders well, steering the company in a direction that made them a lot of money, but did so by exploiting his employees. Ergo, good CEO, but bad employer.

  3. Suck it HP by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 4, Insightful

    California is a Right to Work State, you want to sue to prevent someone from having a job? Then move to Washington or New York.
    Here in California we recognize the need for a person to earn a living plying their skill is more important than your need to treat people like property.
    But hey, since those lawyers are salaried, better to use them to harass Mr. Sexual Harassment to put those payroll dollars to work am I right?

  4. Sour grapes QQ hypocrits by redelm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    HP's Board may be pretend to be aggrieved, but there is little they can do. California basically bans non-compete clauses. Some lawyers will get rich, and it will all be settled out of sight.

    It would be more convincing if HP weren't such d@mned hypocrits: they complain of corporate secret leakage, yet they hired in Carly Fiorio as CEO from Lucent to get networking going and Mark Furd himself from NCR. Both "closer" in market terms to HP than Oracle is.

    I think the HP Bored is just unhappy Mark bounced back quickly and very vexed the market agrees with him (Oracle's stock when up, HP down). Arrogant SOBs. I'd be embarrassed to work for them. Or buy their products.