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Tell HN: Beware confidentiality agreements that act as lifetime non competes

416 points throwarayes | 3 comments | 21 Jun 25 16:02 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

Just a note of warning from personal experience.

Companies don’t really need non-competes anymore. Some companies take an extremely broad interpretation of IP confidentiality, where they consider doing any work in the industry during your lifetime an inevitable confidentiality violation. They argue it would be impossible for you to work elsewhere in this industry during your entire career without violating confidentiality with the technical and business instincts you bring to that domain. It doesn’t require conscious violation on your part (they argue).

So beware and read your employment agreement carefully.

More here https://www.promarket.org/2024/02/08/confidentiality-agreeme...

And this is the insane legal doctrine behind this

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inevitable_disclosure

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stego-tech ◴[21 Jun 25 18:59 UTC] No.44339879[source]▶
Have an employment attorney always look over said agreements before signing. A local acquaintance who did work for an MSP had said MSP try such a ploy, only for the employment attorney to sue and get it thrown out as unreasonable and unenforceable.

Never, EVER sign a contract without reading it first, and having your lawyer review it.

replies(2): >>44339950 #>>44340027 #
TrackerFF ◴[21 Jun 25 19:17 UTC] No.44340027[source]▶
I understand that your advice is in good faith - but if we touch grass for a second, only the tiniest fraction of even professional workers have a lawyer at hand. And one that specializes in contract law? Even less.
replies(2): >>44340486 #>>44340628 #
1. mapmap ◴[21 Jun 25 20:23 UTC] No.44340486[source]▶
It’s not that difficult to have legal help with your contract. Call your local bar association and ask for an employment law specialist. It will likely cost a couple hundred for them to review your contract.
replies(2): >>44341203 #>>44341427 #
2. ◴[21 Jun 25 22:29 UTC] No.44341203[source]▶
3. inetknght ◴[21 Jun 25 23:11 UTC] No.44341427[source]▶
> It’s not that difficult to have legal help with your contract.

It's difficult to have legal help with your contract responsive within the timeframe that you have available for signing it before the business rescinds their offer and moves on.