By WANG Yong, ZHUANG Jian
Lithium battery maker CALB has been ordered to pay rival CATL 3.7 million yuan (US$540,000) for poaching talent still bound under previous contracts.
It’s normal in the tech industry for key staff to be prevented from jumping ship and working for the opposition. CALB said on Monday the company had never illicitly hired anyone and would appeal. The case was heard by Ningde Intermediate People’s Court, where the headquarters of CATL is located. CALB argues that the court missed some key facts.
CATL – the world’s biggest battery maker - sued CALB – another of the world’s top 10 - in August last year, claiming that some core technicians were illegally poached. The court said through a third-party agency, CALB had indeed hired employees of CATL who had signed agreements prohibiting them from joining rivals.
This is not the first that CATL has sued rivals for unfair competition.
In 2021, CATL sued battery maker SVOLT on a similar account. SVOLT eventually paid CATL 5 million yuan.
