Apple Gets Papermaster

Apple has reached an undisclosed resolution with IBM, and Mark Papermaster will take over as Apple's hardware czar on April 24.

Apple announced today that its litigation with IBM over hiring Mark Papermaster as senior vice president of Devices Hardware Engineering has been resolved, and Papermaster will start work at Apple on April 24. Apple announced in November it was hiring Papermaster to take over for iPod chief Tony Fadell, but IBM immediately sought an injunction blocking the move, claiming a non-compete agreement Papermaster signed in 2006 would prevent him working for Apple for a year.

Papermaster worked on microprocessor architecture and servers at IBM for 25 years, and has described his position at Apple has having nothing to do with his previous work. IBM maintained that Papermaster would be in a position to disclose IBM trade secrets.

According to IBM, Papermaster may not start work at Apple before April 24, six months after his departure from IBM in October, and will be required to certify in July and October 2009 that he has complied with obligations to not use or disclose proprietary or confidential information from IBM.

At Apple, Papermaster will head up iPod and iPhone engineering teams.