The Superior Court of Quebec has granted Ubisoft an injunction that prevents THQ from obtaining any more of Ubisoft’s employees in ye olde city of Montreal. Game Informer (following up on a report by Rue Frontenac) received an official statement from Ubisoft, in which the publisher requested that the court place an injunction order on THQ based on the “non-solicit clause” included in Ubisoft Montreal employee contracts.
“This procedure aims to protect Ubisoft Montreal in a breach of contract situation,” said the statement, “and to defend the long-term financial and creative health of the studio.” Translation: Ubisoft hit the panic button following a talent drain that started when creative bigwig Patrice Desilets left Ubisoft to form his team at THQ Montreal, which included several other Ubisoft folks. In obtaining the injunction, Ubisoft even used a Joystiq article from January as evidence of a breach of contract. In that post, THQ exec Danny Bilson admits to hiring three Ubisoft employees (who were bound to a non-compete clause) on retainer.
Given that several major publishers are moving to Canada, THQ is just one of Ubisoft’s home turf concerns. Ubisoft probably has the lawyers working overtime to legally add a “restraining order clause” to employee contracts, forcing them to stay 100 meters away from any competitors’ employee.
Ubisoft prevents THQ from hiring more of its Montreal employees with court order originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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