Re: Informix vs Oracle, alleged trade secret theft

netac <netac@worldnet.att.net> writes: > Larry Baker wrote: > > > > Yomama Sophat wrote: > > > 1) Who's in the right? > > > 2) Who will win in the end? > > > 3) Who's got the better technology? > > > > These cases are very scary. Unless the case is about specific theft of > software or intellectual property, I could see the point. However, more > and more tech companies are moving forward with these suits as if to say > they own the minds of their engineers and they are not free to go > forward and take a better job for a better offer. Its disgusting, and > as technical professionals we should all be very concerned about this. > The work I do for my company belongs to them, but my mind belongs to me > and so do my skills and I can sell them to the highest bidder. I think > this point gets lost in the discussion sometimes. Quite right. I went to work for PS a few months ago as a "Principal" Consultant - I had previously done a lot of R&D work on data extraction, rule based data transformation, expert systems and DSS, Semi-Automatic mapping and program generation and had developed a methodology for Data Mart Development _ DM3M. After starting my contract the company I as told, oh! and by the way you have to sign this standard non-disclosure (give up all intellectual rights) agreement. Basically I refused to sign it as it was, who the hell do these companies think they are. As you can imagine I will be leaving this sunnyvale company, and no, I will not be signing any non-disclosure agreement. Martyn