Google, Microsoft Settle Dispute Over Employee

Written By
Peter Galli
Peter Galli
Published: Jan 9, 2006
Updated: Feb 2, 2021
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Some five months after Google announced plans to open a product R&D center in China and appoint former Microsoft Vice President Kai-Fu Lee to head the operation, the parties have settled the matter. In a brief statement released late last month, Microsoft spokesperson Jack Evans said the parties resolved their issues.

Evans declined to give details on the agreement, saying the terms are confidential and that all parties agreed to make no other statements to the media regarding it.

However, Evans did say Microsoft is “pleased with the terms of our settlement with Google and Dr. Lee.”

David Drummond, Googles vice president of corporate development and its general counsel, would only say that while the trial date is set for Jan. 9 between Google, Kai-Fu Lee and Microsoft regarding the one-year noncompete period, “the parties have entered into a private agreement that resolves all issues to their mutual satisfaction.”

Peter Galli

Peter Galli has been a technology reporter for 12 years at leading publications in South Africa, the UK and the US. He has comprehensively covered Microsoft and its Windows and .Net platforms, as well as the many legal challenges it has faced. He has also focused on Sun Microsystems and its Solaris operating environment, Java and Unix offerings. He covers developments in the open source community, particularly around the Linux kernel and the effects it will have on the enterprise. He has written extensively about new products for the Linux and Unix platforms, the development of open standards and critically looked at the potential Linux has to offer an alternative operating system and platform to Windows, .Net and Unix-based solutions like Solaris.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.