U.S. technology giant Google said Friday it would defend itself against claims that it stole trade secrets from PayPal, which filed a lawsuit Thursday, according to UPI. PayPal, owned by eBay, filed a suit claiming Google hired two key executives who signed non-disclosure agreements with PayPal, but then used company information to help Google develop Google Wallet, the electronic payment system the company revealed Thursday. In an e-mailed statement, Google said, "We respect trade secrets," CNNMoney reported. The statement also said, "Silicon Valley was built on the ability of individuals to use their knowledge and expertise to seek better employment opportunities, an idea recognized by both California law and public policy." The lawsuit centers on Stephanie Tilenius, who began working as Paypal's vice president of merchant services in January 2004, and switched over to working for Google in February 2010. Tilenius then personally recruited Osama Bedier from PayPal, CNNMoney reported, writing in a FaceBook note that she knew of a "huge opportunity" for him at Google. Bedier had worked at PayPal on the negotiating team that tried to get Google to accept PayPal as an option on Android operating systems. He began working at Google in January 2011.
