
Employee arrested for theft of trade secrets from Machine Zone, Inc - gdeglin
http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/silicon-valley-employee-arrested-theft-trade-secrets
======
mc808
I've never heard of the "Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit", but
it doesn't sound like something that should care about some online game's
analytics data. Combined with the guy being arrested as he was about to leave
for China, I can't help wondering if there is much, much more to this story.
E.g. they felt a need to hold him for something, and this was the best they
could come up with.

~~~
leereeves
According to [http://www.justice.gov/usao-
ndca/divisions](http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/divisions)

> The Special Prosecutions and National Security Unit is responsible for
> supporting counterterrorism and counterespionage investigations and
> prosecutions in the district. In addition, the Special Prosecutions and
> National Security Unit prosecutes public corruption, environmental, civil
> rights, child exploitation, illegal export, and immigration cases.

~~~
eblume
So this could fall under their jurisdiction with 'illegal export'?

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trhway
the affidavit ([http://www.justice.gov/usao-
ndca/file/763991/download](http://www.justice.gov/usao-
ndca/file/763991/download)) is basically a boring and bad-divorce-ugly saga
how a Director (not "employee") lost the office battle and was stupid/careless
enough to mention having some Tableau analytics (the company's proprietary
info by definition) downloaded and in his possession in the course of the
severance discussion recorded by FBI. I don't think he would be that careless
if the info was really valuable and he intended to profit from it, ie. if he
really "stole" it and valued it. It sounds pretty plausible that he used it
only to understand the value of his options. Making enemies and giving them
the opening to bring in FBI seems to be his main sin here. Now they also
incriminate him wiping out his laptop before returning. I wonder has anybody
here returned company laptops (upon leaving or upgrade) without nuking it? I
mean i do access my bank and other accounts from the laptop ...

~~~
Jare
This article [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-08-26-another-
day...](http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-08-26-another-day-another-
trade-secrets-lawsuit-for-machine-zone) refers to Zeng attempting to use the
info to negotiate better severance, which if true is basically blackmail. The
article also links to other (possibly unrelated) post on MachineZone's recent
clash (heh) with Kabam.

~~~
ChuckMcM
Generally a really really bad way to negotiate severance. Not as bad as
changing all the passwords on the company routers and then holding them
hostage but pretty sad.

------
octaveguin
The thing most concerning here is that it seems like the employee never used
the 'trade secret'. He just downloaded the source code - code, presumably, he
wrote.

And of course that this is criminal, not civil.

Scary.

~~~
Rainymood
>code, presumably, he wrote

Just to note (as far as I know) the code you write doesn't necessarily mean
that it's code you _own_. If you write some awesome ass code for school for
example the school can claim copyright or some sorts. He wrote the code while
working for Machine, so they presumably own the code.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

~~~
leereeves
In the US, something made by an employee within the scope of his or her
employment is a work made for hire and the employer owns the copyright.

Non-employees could also agree to a contract transferring copyright or, in
some limited circumstances, agreeing the work is a work made for hire.

But I'm fairly sure that you're wrong about things you write for school,
unless you're an employee of the school or you signed something transferring
copyright.

~~~
the_hangman
Most engineering programs (at least in the US) have students sign documents
that state that the University will own the copyright to anything that they
create in labs or for University classes.

