Earlier this year Apple, Google, Intel, and Adobe reached a proposed settlement with employees for $324.5 million dollars in the current anti-trust case before U.S. District Court, Northern District of California. That settlement was reject by the court for being insufficient. This anti-trust case could end up costing the defendant corporations $9 billion dollars. That is right $9 billion. The anti-trust lawsuit was brought by employees alleging these tech giants colluded with each other to keep employee salaries low and that they made side deal agreeing not to hire each other employees/ former employees. These anti-trust allegations are not without merit as during the lawsuit many incriminating documents including emails and HR files have come to light essentially demonstrating Steve Jobs of Apple, and Erin Schmidt of Google, amongst others did make agreements not to hire employees and to keep wages fixed. To read more about the evidence in the case see: Bloomberg-Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe Settle for $324.5 Million, CNN Money,  and Bloomberge -Apple, Google, Intel, Adobe Settle Antitrust Hiring Case.