

US busts Google, Apple, Intel over secret employee poaching pact - hariis
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/09/us-busts-google-apple-intel-over-secret-employee-poaching-pact.ars

======
kgermino
I tend to lean more conservative but I have to say that the government
cracking down on this seems like a good thing. I have a hard time seeing how
companies creating agreements to help reduce competition for employees is a
net good.

However I don't have a great understanding of all the issues at play here, so
I may be wrong. Anyone have any experience as to why this is good/bad?

~~~
jeromec
_I have a hard time seeing how companies creating agreements to help reduce
competition for employees is a net good._

If you're an employee who has invested money and many years building up skills
and education to become valuable to companies you might have a different view.

It's a coincidence this article comes on the heels of AngelGate, where it was
Angels seeking to form anti-competitive agreements for their own benefit --
and less benefit for entrepreneurs.

~~~
ghshephard
I parsed your response five times, and I think you've got it backwards. The OP
was stating that he thinks this is negative for employees.

~~~
jeromec
You're right, the OP and I have the same position. I read the comment quickly
and focused on the "Anyone have any experience as to why this is good/bad?"

------
will_critchlow
A lot of our client contracts include mutual "no poaching" clauses. Obviously
we are a lot smaller, but what determines when this is OK and when it's not?

~~~
hga
You and your clients are presumably not peers. While it might make sense for
some of your employees to jump to or from them, it's not nearly the same as
jumping to a competitor of yours.

Of course, if you aren't in California you can lock them down with a non-
compete, but then again that's why (I think) Silicon Valley has been so
consistently and overwhelmingly successful (it's the one absolutely unique
advantage it has).

~~~
anonymousDan
This is something I've been harping on about lately but no-one seems to
listen. Silicon Valley is the only place I know of where it is illegal for a
company to restrict the work you do after hours and without company resources.
This is such a massive boon for people trying to create their own startup. It
means you can work on a project on the side until you are ready to commit
without having to worry about your current employer stealing your IP.

~~~
hga
No one listens because it only _directly_ helps competitors, and of course
startups by definition are not entrenched businesses.

Few are wise enough to realize the advantages of an overall healthy ecosystem,
and the giants like Intel, once they became giant, only want that to a limited
extent anyway.

------
known
Govt cannot monitor day-to-day illegal & immoral activities of big
corporations. It is better to breakup these corporations into smaller entities
to promote competition and solve unemployment crisis.

