CNET is reporting that a former IBM employee by the name of Mark Papermaster has accepted a job at Apple. The article is mainly targeted at a lawsuit which IBM has started against the former employer for joining Apple. Papermaster was IBM’s Vice President of Microprocessor technology but recently left his job and will start at Apple in November.

IBM is claiming that Papermaster is violating an employment agreement by joining Apple and that the ex-employee could divulge the companies trade secrets. Papermaster is considered a “top expert in Power architecture and technology”.

It is unknown why Apple has pursued Papermaster but CNET speculates that he could be vital to Apple’s plans to develop processors for the iPod touch and iPhone.