The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against LucasFilm for entering into agreements with Pixar to restrict employee recruiting practices, behavior that the DOJ felt constituted an antitrust violation. The complaint was brought solely against Lucasfilm because the DOJ had already addressed the conduct with Pixar in a previous suit, US v. Adobe Systems, a case which involved Adobe Systems, Inc., Apple Inc., Google Inc., Intel Corporation, Intuit, Inc., and Pixar.
A settlement was reached the same day that the suit was filed. LucasFilm said it would not enter into any agreement to refrain from competing for the employees of other businesses, but retained the right to unilaterally decide not to consider applications from employees of other companies.
On June 3, 2011, Judge Reggie B. Walton granted the DOJ’s motion for final judgment, pursuant to the settlement agreement, and closed the case.