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Comment by blueprint | Hacker News Reader

this seems like a really bad idea. people can just join a company, get trained, then leave. hello corporate espionage.

Corporate espionage is a crime. You don't need to tack non-competes on top of that.

And if you think the primary purpose of non-competes is to prevent or mitigate corporate espionage, I've got a bridge to sell you.

yeah and how exactly do you prove it happened ? and where did you get all this money to litigate? I dont believe you yet understand the problem.

There are still intellectual property laws in place that could protect the original companies. Non-competes stifle innovators at big companies from being able to leave and pursue their own ideas that are in the same domain as the parent company.

I'm not saying the existing solution is complete, either. But banning noncompetition itself is not the right answer. Why do contract noncompetes clauses exist? What about the small companies and inventors and IP owners? None of these replies I'm seeing have considered the side effects to the world except what would clearly also benefit giant companies.

If you allow a company to hire someone, then they left their current job, move to another place (worse if it is international and require visa) then the company says sorry but we have to let you fo without this being illegal. Now why this is different?. This at least restore some of the power balance.

as opposed to joining a company, get trained, get laid off when the economy dips, forced to be unemployed

so maybe regulators should introduce nullifying noncompetes with certain cases, not nullifying them in every circumstance. but still, they serve an obvious purpose, even if you are laid off by that company. the idea is you are given confidential info that you are not supposed to use because that's unfair competition. not that you're likely to care

> the idea is you are given confidential info that you are not supposed to use because that's unfair competition

This proposal does not nullify NDAs (Non disclosure agreements), from the FTC press release:

"The proposed rule would generally not apply to other types of employment restrictions, like non-disclosure agreements."

There are also exceptions to partners and owners selling a business.

Noncompetes do not block corporate espionage in any way shape or form.

Noncompete != Nondisclosure

In my experience noncompetes aren't enforced, unless you are very high up in the company and even then C-level folks usually get nice incentives to stay away from their competitors.

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