Apple's Steve Jobs, Google Utilized Illegal no-Hire Agreements

[Guest]

Patent system should be disbanded all together.

Knowledge doesn't belong to anyone as long as it is not obtained by stealing.

 

[thecolorblue]

[citation][nom]dltF90[/nom]"I hope this makes both the USPTO and the Senate wake up and change the patent system in order to not be used anymore as a weapon to shut down rival business..."Most members of the House and Senate are lawyers, do you think they want to stop the lawsuits? They make too much money off of lawsuits to ever want to do anything to suppress them.[/citation]
you might be onto something there. Interestingly enough the supreme court ruled that Software Patents were "illegal" or whattnot.

Here's an interesting talk on it if you have some time and interest:
http://youtu.be/LPzpBn-XGxw?t=27s

 

[alidan]

Can somebody tell me how this is different from a noncompete, because my understanding most companies if they put you in a position of power or if you have to be trained by them at a cost to the company they make you sign a noncompete which you can't work for rival for a few years.

And taking a guess that most of the legal problems from going to another company after noncompete signed would be moot if the company is willing to pay for your legal problems just so they can have you, so can somebody tell me why this is wrong.

 

[shadowfamicom]

The whole patent culture is so messed up, if Eric or Steve had not done what they are did/doing with patents... another big company could have done the same to them, or someone in a garage could have just made away with $10 million or more. Remember when the Wii came out and all the guys with little patents came out of the woodwork? "Hey! In 1998 I made a USB wand that makes a dog jump on screen when I move it! MONEY PLEASE!" Its almost kill or be killed. Is it morally wrong? Yes. But it is also the game. And as they say "Don't hate the players, hate the game". I do not blame either of them for what they did with regard to patents, they were doing what they could to keep there companies intact, making the best of a messed up system. Now using patents as a blackmail thing is kind of messed up.

 

[DaveUK]

I'm sorry, you did not get the job, you were holding the application form wrong.