RIM sues Motorola for curbing job hiring

In a departure from some other recent activities around tech exec job flight, RIM is suing Motorola for allegedly impeding its plans to hire current and laid off Motorola staffers.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has filed a lawsuit against fellow electronics manufacturer Motorola seeking to officially invalidate a pact between the two companies not to solicit one another's employees.

Entered in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, RIM's suit counters a Sept. 4 court filing by Motorola that attempted to block RIM from hiring present and former Motorola staff based on a nondisclosure agreement reached this past February. RIM contends that the NDA, which contained a non-solicitation clause, expired in August.

Landing a job with relatively prosperous RIM is a prospect that could look good right now to current employees of financially challenged Motorola.

Earlier this month, Motorola announced a permanent freeze in employee pension plans, along with a temporary suspension of company matching contributions to 401(k) plans.

Meanwhile, the court filings between Motorola and RIM represent a departure from some other recent legal efforts by technology firms to fight executive flight in today's tough economic climate. Earlier this year, IBM and Motorola each sued their own former employees -- rather than the company who hired those employees -- for taking jobs with Apple, accusing those employees of violating non-compete clauses in their old job contracts.