Better not be hired by Amazon.
Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
111–120 of 223 posts
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#112You know you're cool when you need a lawyer to change jobs. I think it would be reasonable to allow non-competes, however, the company should have to keep paying you your full compensation (salary, stock, bonuses, etc) for as long as they keep you from being employed. Sure, give the old employer veto power for a new job as long as they keep paying them for the lockout period.
When Oracle hired a good chunk of experienced AWS engineers to build their new cloud platform, they retained lawyers for each candidate to smooth the transition. They went in to it with their eyes open and played it safe. It amounted to little more than lawyers talking back and forth for a little bit, and coming to an agreement about what the engineers could and couldn't work on for OCI, and for what time period. I h…
Google is surprisingly naive at many aspects of business. It’s quite possible they didn’t even consider doing something Oracle would have found routine.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#113Non-competes should be completely killed. Disclosing confidential trade secrets should be a legal issue, but getting a new job with a competitor shouldn’t be, as long as you don’t share confidential info with them. If you build up a tonne of domain knowledge, and become an expert, you should be able to leverage that expertise by continuing to work in that domain, as long as you aren’t sharing legit secrets.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#114Non-competes should be completely killed. Disclosing confidential trade secrets should be a legal issue, but getting a new job with a competitor shouldn’t be, as long as you don’t share confidential info with them. If you build up a tonne of domain knowledge, and become an expert, you should be able to leverage that expertise by continuing to work in that domain, as long as you aren’t sharing legit secrets.
I once started a job where the contract contained a very weird clause: I wouldn’t be able to use any programming-related knowledge I gained at the job for my future jobs. Obviously that‘s not enforceable, but it led to a ridiculous discussion where I tried to explain to them that if previous employers did this, I could only use the knowledge I gained before being employed - effectively programming like during highschool. They agreed in the end that I should be allowed to transfer knowledge and the clause was removed.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
don't need a snitch. they can just assume that it happens and sue anyways. the difficult part is coming up with proof that it actually happened
So you think it's a good idea to take legal action against someone with no proof and hope it just materializes over time? I mean, I can sue you for stealing US nuclear secrets. Now if only I had some evidence...
i am not saying that doing that is always a good idea, but we are talking about amazon vs google, to competitors who have more resources than sense, so yes, absolutely.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#116Ugh, this garbage again. AWS came after someone I had hired trying to enforce the same non-compete, under more or less the same circumstances (Washington-based employee, working remote out of California). In the process I learned a bunch about this non-compete, and in particular about Amazon's behavior with respect to it: as of 2012, they had tried to enforce this non-compete "hundreds" of times -- and to the knowled…
The hell of it is that an awful lot of companies would shrug, back away slowly, rescind the job offer, and select a different candidate. I mean, the alternative is going toe to toe in a legal fight with freaking Amazon--what sane person would do such a thing?!
I can't abide a bully.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Google likely considered legal defense as part of the hiring cost when taking someone that high profile Stuff like this is always so fascinating to me: the idea that someone's ability to do their job is worth fighting over in court -- nevermind the cultural costs of bringing someone new into a executive position at a company.
This is a very old tradition in the valley. I forget but I think the law in CA was changed sometime because these suits were almost always dismissed.
Non-compete agreements haven't been enforceable in California since 1872.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#118Ugh, this garbage again. AWS came after someone I had hired trying to enforce the same non-compete, under more or less the same circumstances (Washington-based employee, working remote out of California). In the process I learned a bunch about this non-compete, and in particular about Amazon's behavior with respect to it: as of 2012, they had tried to enforce this non-compete "hundreds" of times -- and to the knowled…
This is what most outside counsel in WA advise their corporate clients. Use non-competes. Even though everyone knows they are essentially unenforceable.
A "venomous separation" is more lucrative for outside counsel than an amicable one where they are not needed.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
don't need a snitch. they can just assume that it happens and sue anyways. the difficult part is coming up with proof that it actually happened
They aren’t suing someone random. Google would surely back the legal fees for the person if Google themselves aren’t somehow sued. What would be the point of this then?
of course not random, but the person switching jobs.
clearly (from amazon's perspective) you can't switch to google without revealing secrets and violating your NDA, therefore we sue you.
Re: Amazon sues former AWS marketing VP Brian Hall after he takes Google Cloud job
#120You know you're cool when you need a lawyer to change jobs. I think it would be reasonable to allow non-competes, however, the company should have to keep paying you your full compensation (salary, stock, bonuses, etc) for as long as they keep you from being employed. Sure, give the old employer veto power for a new job as long as they keep paying them for the lockout period.
I think there are some talented people who Amazon would gladly pay a salary to in order to stop competitors hiring them. A top-end salary is tiny compared to the value a good employee can bring to a competitor. Amazon would be stupid not to take that deal.