Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed • Hacker News Board

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#41

Post by hannasanarion » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:00 AM UTC

Why is the government throwing people in jail for leaking trade secrets?

Trade secrets aren't supposed to have government protection, that's the entire point: they're risky. If you want a monopoly on your technology, you're supposed to file a patent. Trade secrets were invented as a riskier way to extend your monopoly by giving up government protection.

If the government is going to give trade secrets the same protection as patents (or even more, because patent infringement doesn't come with jail time), companies have zero motivation to publish.

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#42

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:03 AM UTC

bsimpson wrote: post #27

SpicyLemonZest wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quite a few. Levandowski is in California, where they're making a pretty big effort to get nonviolent criminals out of the prison system.

It blows my mind that there are protestors at San Quentin agitating for prisoners to be released into the public when the prison is one of the biggest cohorts of COVID in the entire region. They literally let people walk out of prison and get on a public bus, after spendings months in close quarters amidst the worst outbreak in the Bay Area.

[deleted]

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#43

Post by wolco » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:04 AM UTC

gilrain wrote: post #32

williamstein wrote: post #5

Much more interesting to me is that the article says "he will not need to report until threat of COVID-19 pandemic has passed." and "With no end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, it is possible that Levandowski’s latest lawsuit will be resolved before he even reports to jail."

A courtesy not afforded to the largely not-rich, not-white general prison population. I don't think Levandowski should be treated worse, just noting it would be nice if less privileged prisoners were treated as humanely.

Rich black people don't have the same privileged to buy justice as rich white people?

That's not true. From basketball players to music icons like Michael Jackson the rich can buy a certain level of justice.

If you think the white rich still have it easier. I think we are focusing on the wrong thing. The 1% or .1% percentages have it better than everybody else regardless of color.

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#44

Post by pedalpete » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:05 AM UTC

gilrain wrote: post #34

bsimpson wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It blows my mind that there are protestors at San Quentin agitating for prisoners to be released into the public when the prison is one of the biggest cohorts of COVID in the entire region. They literally let people walk out of prison and get on a public bus, after spendings months in close quarters amidst the worst outbreak in the Bay Area.

They should be denied justice because that very lack of justice made them vulnerable to infection? What a dystopic catch-22.

I think your comment would be much stronger if you just stated it directly - "They should not be denied justice because the lack of justice made them vulnerable to infection". - paraphrasing gilrain

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#45

Post by s17n » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:05 AM UTC

I realize that he's an asshole and his behavior was pretty egregious but as engineers we should not be happy about the precedent that this sets.

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#46

Post by jhardy54 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:07 AM UTC

wolco wrote: post #43

gilrain wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A courtesy not afforded to the largely not-rich, not-white general prison population. I don't think Levandowski should be treated worse, just noting it would be nice if less privileged prisoners were treated as humanely.

Rich black people don't have the same privileged to buy justice as rich white people? That's not true. From basketball players to music icons like Michael Jackson the rich can buy a certain level of justice. If you think the white rich still have it easier. I think we are focusing on the wrong thing. The 1% or .1% percentages have it better than everybody else regardless of color.

> Rich black people don't have the same privileged to buy justice as rich white people? > > That's not true.

Kinda funny how you made up a statement that they didn't say and then started arguing against it. Congratulations, you fought yourself and won.

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#47

Post by xxpor » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:08 AM UTC

hannasanarion wrote: post #41

Why is the government throwing people in jail for leaking trade secrets? Trade secrets aren't supposed to have government protection, that's the entire point: they're risky. If you want a monopoly on your technology, you're supposed to file a patent. Trade secrets were invented as a riskier way to extend your monopoly by giving up government protection. If the government is going to give trade secrets the same protec…

No, patents cover someone even independently coming up with the same idea and making a copy. Trade secrets don't have that protection. You can still steal trade secrets. If you couldn't, you're basically arguing IP isn't property (which is a perfectly valid philosophical position, and one I'm sympathetic to)

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#48

Post by munk-a » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:10 AM UTC

wolco wrote: post #43

gilrain wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A courtesy not afforded to the largely not-rich, not-white general prison population. I don't think Levandowski should be treated worse, just noting it would be nice if less privileged prisoners were treated as humanely.

Rich black people don't have the same privileged to buy justice as rich white people? That's not true. From basketball players to music icons like Michael Jackson the rich can buy a certain level of justice. If you think the white rich still have it easier. I think we are focusing on the wrong thing. The 1% or .1% percentages have it better than everybody else regardless of color.

I think rich any-people shouldn't get a free-ride buuut... The comment you're responding to focused on privilege being the primary differentiator, but you focused in on "largely not-rich, not-white general prison population", please read comments a bit closer.

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#49

Post by MrSandman » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:11 AM UTC

s17n wrote: post #45

I realize that he's an asshole and his behavior was pretty egregious but as engineers we should not be happy about the precedent that this sets.

Agreed. Reuters is already writing about how engineers need to be vigilant and the steps you should take to protect yourself: https://www.reuters.com/article/autonomous-uber-levandowski-...

Re: Levandowski sentenced to 18 months in prison as new lawsuit against Uber filed

#50

Post by w0mbat » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 1:12 AM UTC

This guy had such a sweet deal at Google originally, it staggers me that he'd go to these lengths to steal even more.

He was getting a massive salarY, bonuses in the millions, and he had persuaded Google to pay him even more money through a side-hustle company of his while remaining an employee. Then he quits and steals their stuff.