In a significant move, Research In Motion (RIM), last week, has filed a lawsuit claiming Motorola improperly blocked the Blackberry maker from hiring employees Motorola has already fired or plans to terminate.

Earlier in February this year, both RIM and Motorola decided not to plead for each other's employees.

On December 23, RIM has claimed in a Chicago state court that the agreement expired in August and it is free to hire former Motorola employees. It may be here recalled that Motorola has sued RIM in September this year for barring the Canadian firm from hiring any Motorola employees under the terms of the February agreement.

In its lawsuit, RIM said, “RIM entities continue to grow and hire new employees within the United States and globally against a backdrop of recent public announcements by Motorola that it has and will continue to make massive layoffs.”

The complaint further added the claim that Motorola's actions are preventing RIM "from hiring any Motorola employees, including the thousands of employees Motorola has already fired or will soon fire, without regard for [RIM's] rights or for the damage this tactic will unfairly inflict on Motorola's own employees and ex-employees who will be prevented from finding new employment" with RIM.

It is learnt that Motorola is all set to cut 3,000 employees next year.

However, both RIM and Motorola was unavailable to comment on this issue.