Former HP exec admits stealing IBM secrets
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Two illicit emails land ex-Hewlett-Packard sales exec in deep water
Atul Malhotra was once a sales and business development director for IBM Global Services. In April 2006, he got a new job at rival Hewlett-Packard’s imaging and printing division.
Before joining the company, he emailed confidential IBM documents containing costs and materials data to two executives at his new employer in emails titled “IBM confidential”.
Malhotra now faces up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine, after pleading guilty to a charge of stealing trade secrets.
“In the email message, Malhotra noted that knowledge of this information would help specific HP sales teams better understand their competitors’ goals as the teams determined pricing for prospective deals,” the attorney for the prosecution said.
HP fired Malhotra after they learned of the leak. “The activity with which Malhotra is charged was in direct violation of clear HP policies, including HP Standards of Business Conduct,” the company said in a statement.
“HP detected this activity, conducted an internal investigation, terminated Malhotra’s employment from HP, and reported the activity to appropriate enforcement agencies and to IBM,” it added.
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