I must admit, I'm outside the situation so maybe what I said was a bit rich. The point I was trying to make is that the whole "us v them" situation this thread is setting up will not help anyone out. It wasn't the actual guys employed by Newport who shafted the QF guys - there was a bigger game going on. I don't see why you should hold it against an individual if they were involved. Is it possible that they were after an opportunity as well? And is it bad to go after an opportunity?
And really, is it going to return to the bad old days where there's a blacklist where people aren't employed because they side one way or don't? Are you really going to deny someone who has good skills on the tools a job because in the past they have themselves been pawns in a bigger game with other people pushing the pieces?