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

#181

Post by smabie » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:00 AM UTC

6nf wrote: post #130

pauljurczak wrote: post #119

It just proves that if you want to do a crime, do the white collar crime. White gloves treatment will ensue, if you get caught.

Don't steal $5,000 from the liqor store, that will get you arrested at gunpoint and you'll spend many years in prison. Instead steal $50,000,000 and you'll probably still be rich once you pay the fines and complete the community service or home arrest.

If it's your first offense and don't have a weapon and don't hurt anyone, stealing from a liquor store won't get you very much time at all.

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

#182

Post by somethingwitty1 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:01 AM UTC

reactchain wrote: post #174

Isn't this type of thing usually a civil case - how is it that he can get jail time? Also what ever happened to Kalanick in all of this?

Theft and attempted theft are criminal acts, which is what he was sentenced for. He was also subject to civil litigation.

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

#183

Post by hannasanarion » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:02 AM UTC

johncolanduoni wrote: post #179

hannasanarion wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I'm saying that government protection of trade secrets is fucked up. It renders patents completely obsolete: all you have to do is slap a label of "secret" on anything you invent and now the government will protect your monopoly on it until the end of time.

Or until a competitor takes it apart and copies it, or figures out how you did it themselves. Not much of a monopoly.

That works fine for physical machines, but if you're talking about software, then copyright protections, DMCA, and CFAA apply too, which makes reverse engineering also illegal.

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

#184

Post by dwd » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:03 AM UTC

api wrote: post #86

blihp wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some people, it isn't ever about having enough. It's always about having more. It also might not have been entirely about the money: he could have craved recognition, more power or who knows what else.

No, it's about dominance and winning. It isn't about the reward. It's about the game.

The reward is just a way to keep score.

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

#185

Post by hannasanarion » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:03 AM UTC

gorgoiler wrote: post #156

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…

In general, fraud is a criminal offense in most countries. This is rightly so. Defrauding others of possessions or money is sufficiently aberrant that any criminal justice system worth its salt should bring prosecution.

What was Google defrauded of? What have they lost because their secret got out?

All they have lost is a monopoly on the technology that they were never legally entitled to in the first place. They still own all the assets, and their business is unchanged.

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

#186

Post by walrus01 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:08 AM UTC

illustriousbear wrote: post #64

w0mbat wrote: post #50

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.

People in the security industry have told me that this sort of thing often comes down to ego and self-importance. In Intelligence, people have been caught selling state secrets for 10-20k a pop. The kind of secrets that can land you decades in jail. It makes no sense from a monetary standpoint.

MICE or RASCLS

Never underestimate the power of the ego trip...

https://www.google.com/search?q=mice+rascls&oq=mice+rascls&a...

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

#187

Post by Waterluvian » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:09 AM UTC

When I have an upcoming dentist appointment looming over my head, My entire week can be ruined by anxiety. I have no idea how people can be sentenced to serious time in prison that will happen... sometime in the future...

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

#188

Post by pcwalton » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:13 AM UTC

ponker wrote: post #153

teej wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the Google version of winning the lottery. Right place, right skills, right time.

No, you cannot compare becoming the world's best self-driving engineer to winning the lottery. This is like becoming Lebron James, it's tremendous talent combined with tremendous commitment.

At this point the right sports comparison isn't LeBron James; it's Lance Armstrong.

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

#189

Post by walrus01 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:14 AM UTC

smabie wrote: post #181

6nf wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't steal $5,000 from the liqor store, that will get you arrested at gunpoint and you'll spend many years in prison. Instead steal $50,000,000 and you'll probably still be rich once you pay the fines and complete the community service or home arrest.

If it's your first offense and don't have a weapon and don't hurt anyone, stealing from a liquor store won't get you very much time at all.

Yes but if it's your first offense in the world of multimillion dollar white collar crime you'll probably get an ankle monitor and house arrest. Or six months...

I've seen a number of people banned for life from securities trading in British Columbia, for frauds exceeding 10 million, and they received basically no prison sentence at all.

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

#190

Post by yelloworangefog » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:15 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.

> A courtesy not afforded to the largely not-rich, not-white general prison population.

This claim seems to be unsubstantiated and in fact blatantly false... Please take the care to do cursory research on the situation before blindly stoking the race flame. That kind of thing is the very last thing we need in the public discourse right now.