By Jim Dalrymple, Macworld.com

Papermaster contends that IBM's noncompetition agreement precludes him from working for any Business Enterprise or any major competitor of IBM. The lawsuit argues that since IBM business enterprise services and Apple's business is the design, manufacturing and marketing of consumer electronic products, the two are not major competitors.

Providing further evidence of the noncompetitive nature of the companies, Papermaster further explains that at IBM he was the vice president of Blade Development, while in his role at Apple he would be in charge of product development for the iPod and the iPhone.

The countersuit asserts the noncompetitive agreement "is unreasonably broad in that it purports to impose an unreasonably lengthy time limitation. In the world of technology, any trade secrets that Mr. Papermaster possesses would lose their value prior to the expiration of a year."

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