HR: English Muffins?

OK, I couldn't resist the "what's this got to do with HR?" title.  When I first saw the story, I though I'd be reading about something marketing related to a very good product, Thomas's English Muffins.  But it's really a great HR story.

Seems that those excellent Thomas' English Muffins are based on three parts of a secret formula that is only known by seven people and has been protected for over 75 years.  Oh, and $500 million in annual sales.

The HR part:  One of the seven people resigned in January after accepting an offer to work for rival Hostess in fall of 2009.  Thomas' owner, Grupo Bimbo, has secured a U.S. District Court injunction barring the employee from taking the job until the court fight is settled.  The ruling is being appealed on the grounds that Hostess may not hold the job open.  It's a complicated case involving accusations of attending strategy meetings discussing Hostess after accepting the new position and allegedly copying files to a USB drive.

Comments:  Confidentiality agreements and employment contracts have always fascinated me.  This case is an interesting one -- certainly for companies where competitive information needs to be protected.  In a marketplace that is expected to experience intense competition for top talent in the next few years, clearly critical to monitor and ensure policies and practices are appropriate.