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End in sight for Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe wage-fixing lawsuit

Judge seems happy with $415m offer

An end to the four-year legal battle against Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe for alleged wage-fixing is in sight, with a judge having set a final hearing date for the proposed $415m (£270m) settlement.

Last month Google, Apple, Intel and Adobe offered to pay out $415m to make the case go away.

The companies made the new offer after Judge Lucy Koh rejected their proposal last year for a $324.5m (£211m) settlement for being too low.

The foursome are trying to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by former employees over claims senior management entered into a pact not to poach each other's staff.

In 2011 thousands of former employees sued the companies, alleging the agreement meant they could keep wages low.

It has been claimed that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was the ringleader of the alleged conspiracy to keep salaries down.

On Monday, Koh did not formally rule whether she would preliminarily approve the new deal, but raised no objections about the size of the settlement, as she had at an earlier court session, reported Reuters.

The San Jose Mercury News reported the hearing for the final sign off of the $415m deal would take place on July 9.

El Reg has contacted all the companies for a comment. ®

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