Electronic Arts, Ubisoft Clash again on hiring

Jayanta BhattacharyaFeb 1 2006

Ubisoft

The long-running war between the Montreal studios of EA and Ubisoft over non-compete clauses for game development employees quitting Ubisoft has escalated following EA hiring a former Ubisoft employee to work as its Montreal studio. The name of the employee hasn't been released yet.

Gamasutra reports that EA representatives have provided it with a copy of a letter sent by EA Montreal boss Alain Tascan to Ubisoft Montreal intimating the news of the hiring despite a 1-year non-compete agreement signed by that employee when working with Ubisoft. The letter is reported to have also asked Ubisoft to what it says 'stop the illegitimate practice of forcing talented people to sign employment contracts that restrict their creative and economic freedom'.

Reminds me of MS and Google fight here. Anyway, the 'non-competing' clause is an utter piece of rubbish if you asked me. What did you expect talented developers to do when offered the opportunity to make a better livlihood, bigger challenges or better work conditions? Sit and lay eggs doing nothing else??

Thanks Gamasutra