AMD files serious allegations against one former VP and three former managers-- the transfer of sensitive AMD documents before joining rival Nvidia and the violation of a "no-solicitation of employees" promise.
Talk about some good old fashioned corporate skulduggery...
The chip maker says former strategic development VP Robert Feldstein, together with ex-managers Manoo Desai and Nicolas Kociuk, copied over 100000 company documents (including "two licensing agreements with significant customers, and a document outlining proposed strategies to AMD's strategic licensing") on external HDDs during the 6 months preceding their departure.
Another ex-manager, Richard Hagen, joins the trio in alleged recruitment of AMD employees.
The most senior of the accused is Feldstein, who was the ATI VP of engineering before its acquisition by AMD. He left the company back in July 2012 after brokering major deals getting AMD hardware in the Xbox 360 and the Wii U.
Reportedly such deals are the reason Nvidia hired him, after a company statement said Feldstein will "help [Nvidia] think through current and possible future technology licensing projects."
AMD says after forensic analysis of the former employees' PCs it has evidence “Desai and Kociuk conspired with each other to misappropriate AMD's confidential, proprietary, and/or trade secret information; and/or to intentionally access AMD's protected computers, without authorization and/or in a way that exceeded their authorized access.”
The company demands injunctive relief to recover the files, as well as a restraining order demanding the four employees retain all AMD property and computers in their possession for further forensic examination.
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