Apple, Google Poaching Settlement Nears Approval

and

are nearing final approval to settle allegations that they, along with

and

, colluded to hold down competition and salaries among developers.

The $415 million settlement proposal is 28 percent higher than a prior $324 million settlement proposal that the judge rejected. The judge raised no objections to the current settlement deal in yesterday's hearing.

The lawsuit was first filed in 2011 based on emails in which Apple's Steve Jobs, Google's Eric Schmidt and others detailed plans to not compete for talent. Plaintiffs argue that the result limited job mobility and kept salaries lower than market rates.