3.13 In 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

alleged that eBay and Intuit had an agreement that “barred either firm from soliciting each other’s employees, and for over a year barred at least eBay from hiring any employees from Intuit at all”

(www.justice.gov/atr/public/press_releases/

2012/288865.htm). (In an earlier case, the DOJ made similar allegations about Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, and Pixar, which these firms settled by agreeing not to engage in such activities in the future.)

If true, what would be the purpose of such an agreement?

What type of market structure would these firms be trying to achieve?