Robert Feldstein, since July 2012 vice president of Technology Licensing at Nvidia (previously vice president of strategic development at AMD), as well as managers Manoo Desai, Nicolas Kociuk and Richard Hagen are accused of having copied more than 150,000 confidential files from AMD's server to external storage media prior to their departure. Desai, now a senior manager for chip design at Nvidia, allegedly took more than 200 files containing product and chip manufacturing details, while Kociuk is accused to have taken all contents of his desktop and notebook PC with him - a total of about 150,000 files.

Feldstein and Hagen are also accused to have convinced Desai to leave AMD, while Desai convinced at least Kociuk to join Nvidia.

In an initial temporary restraining order, the defendants are ordered to surrender computers and storage devices for forensic evaluation, preserve the data on their devices, refrain from accessing the data and divulge confidential information, and refrain from hiring or soliciting other AMD employees. AMD was ordered to post $10,000 bond as security and cost of damages that may be incurred by possibly innocent defendants.

The case will proceed with a hearing on January 28.