It's official: The world is nuts

[CERuppel]

As if all the war, crime, fraud, and general rudeness were not enough...

Now your employer can claim ownership of your thoughts??? (Maybe because they don't have any???)

http://www.theregus.com/content/7/25936.html

And yes I saw the part about the contract. However he did no design, testing or research during his term of employment. Only thought...

And that is my last straw for the day. I am going to go postal now.

Bye...

[NeoStarO1]

Oh Good Gawd!!! That is downright crazy to sue an former employee for his thoughts and not to mention try making him pay for legal fees.


I think he should appeal as he stated thoughts were never written down so therefore there is no ownership to anyone other tan the thinking person of the thoughts.

The legal process/system in this country never ceases to amaze.

[Cruez]

This brings back memories..

The company I used to work for has the same contract... Its good for 1 year after you quit.

If you invent something, they can lay claim to it...

I remember reading it when I got hired...

Oddly enough...it had to do with the Telecommunications sector also....

[Centurion]

edit

[NeoStarO1]

Well why do they make contracts like that? So if you quit and you start biz of your own and invent some new hardware or software or something your former employer can come and haunt your biz with lawsuits claimaing rights??????

Where is the logic in that? None IMO!

Im glad to know of things like this just so I know not to get into any stupid contract like that. Forget it.

[originel]

stuff like this is something that really worries me when i get out in the job field. this directly impacts me since i'm an engineer as well. almost all engineering companies have clause that states that any ideas you come up with are theirs.

sad. i know of alcatel myself, they're located about 30 minutes from where i currently am (dallas) and i'd always thought of them as a good company. not anymore.

I had to sign an agreement with my company that does not allow me to work for a competetor or customer for two years from my fire/quit date. And the company has taken former employees to court over it and won. However, that up there is going a little far, methinks. Although it's one of the reasons I never give me ideas away to my boss. I either impliment them w/out asking, or file them away for when I'm independant some day.

-Whir

[caddmannq]

I've never signed a non-compete agreement, but I've signed an intellectual property rights & non-disclosure agreement on every job I've ever had in engineering. They were always limited to things you came up with or developed on company time, and to revealing company secrets to others. Not one ever saw legal action.

Foutunately, I've never had a good idea in my life!

[NeoStarO1]

2 years? That seems outragious. So what if you started your own business and some of your customers heard you left and started your own shop and decided of thier (the customer) free will to change to you?

Im sorry this is outragious? where do companaies get off doing this? How can this be legal?

Sorry im asking so many questions, just doesn't make no logical sense to me at all. Good info to know tho. I'll be sure to read contracts in fine print.