HP takes ex-CEO Hurd to court

Hewitt Packard, had filed a complaint against its ex-CEO Hurd to stop him from joining its rival “Oracle”.

The decision came immediately after Hurd signed for Oracle.

HP fears that its trade secrets, its mission, its weakness will be disclosed by Hurd to Oracle  citing the position in which he is in will make him do that.

In a civil complaint filed in Superior Court in Santa Clara County on Tuesday, HP said: “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.”

But employment and intellectual property lawyers said HP will have a tough time convincing a court.

“I think HP has a real uphill battle here,” said Cliff Palefsky of San Francisco law firm McGuinn, Hillsman & Palefsky, who represents plaintiffs in employment cases.

“The notion is that you cannot do your job without using our trade secrets. And without specifics, it’s just not likely to fly,” he said.

What’s Oracle take on this?

“By filing this vindictive lawsuit against Oracle and Mark Hurd, the HP board is acting with utter disregard for that partnership, our joint customers, and their own shareholders and employees,” Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said in a statement.

I dont think HP will have a chance to stop him unless Mr. Hurd had some signed agreement with HP.

HP by filing a law suit against its ex employee just reveals the fact on How HP fears its rival Oracle. Why not, after seeing Oracle grow in the field, one is bound to take necessary steps to remain in the top.

It is to be noted that Oracle purchased Sun Microsystems for $5.6 billion earlier this year.

Both the companies ruled out the possibilities of working together.