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Recent Articles |
Why
Globalize?
As an English-speaking American who travels a lot, I'm often struck by a paradox.
Most of the world doesn't speak English, but wherever I go...
The
Blogosphere is Flat
I missed this earlier, but Duncan Riley wrote that the reign of the geek bloggers
is over.
Top 10 Reasons for Creating Global Websites
At any given time, millions of people are jacked into the internet. They are shopping
for the perfect MP3 player, researching trends, or reading the latest news - often
with little or no awareness of where the product or information originates.
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08.30.05
Google
Wants Lee Contract Dismissed
 By
David Utter
The saga of Kai-Fu Lee continues as his new employer seeks summary judgment in
federal court.
He's a resident of Palo Alto, California, paying California taxes. His picture
appears on a California driver's license, he's registered to vote in California,
and he's even got phone service in California.
Taking all that into consideration, Google wants the federal court in San Jose
to consider Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, probably the most famous ex-employee of tech titan
Microsoft, a California resident and declare the non-compete agreement he signed
with Microsoft null and void.
ZDNet reported that court filings last week show how Google has asked for summary
judgment in the case. The search engine company, regarded by Bill Gates as being
more like Microsoft than any other competitor in the market, claimed in those
filings that the non-compete clause violates California law.
In the filings, it is noted that Dr. Lee expects to be in China for about two
years before returning to California. Meanwhile, Microsoft has filed suit in Washington
state to force Dr. Lee to obey the one-year period where he cannot directly compete
with Microsoft.
That competition issue forms the biggest bit of contention between Microsoft and
Google. Google says Dr. Lee's work will not directly compete with Microsoft because
he did not work on search technology or on Microsoft's China operations while
in Redmond. Microsoft counters by saying Dr. Lee had an important role in both
areas.
Dr. Lee has said he's never seen Microsoft search source code, and only worked
on speech technology, a field where he possesses a doctorate.
About the Author:
David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. |
