Google, Microsoft Settle on China Exec

Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. settled litigation that has kept a former Microsoft executive from heading Google’s China unit.

Kai-fu Lee had been slated to head the Internet search engine’s research group in China, but Microsoft filed a lawsuit against the company, stating that the move went against Lee’s contract with the software giant regarding keeping proprietary information. Google then countersued.

Microsoft, Dr. Lee, and Google have reached an agreement that settles their pending litigation, the two companies said in a joint statement late Thursday.

Details of the agreement, including financial settlement, were not disclosed.