WASHINGTON — The Bay Area film studio that produced the popular “Star Wars” movie series has agreed to end anti-competitive hiring practices as part of a settlement with the Justice Department.
The Justice Department filed the settlement along with its complaint against Lucasfilm Ltd. on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington. The government accused the San Francisco firm of agreeing with Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios not to recruit each other’s employees, to notify each other when offering a position to an employee, and not to give employees a counter offer that is more valuable than the competing company’s offer.
According to the court filings, Lucasfilm agreed to end the practice to end the lawsuit.
Six other Silicon Valley technology employers, including Pixar, agreed earlier this year to end similar hiring agreements.