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Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

nytimes.com

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Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#21

Post by fredgrott »

rz2k wrote: post #15
RachelF wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting, since most of Palm's ideas on smartphones pre-dated the iPhone. No wonder we've changed the patent law to first to file, rather than first to invent.

I agree that the biggest liability to the economy at large of huge patent portfolios, little seen so far, is the ability of multiple incumbent corporations to collude and increase barriers to entry so they collectively are not threatened by innovation from upstarts. That said, most of the time that Palm (and Handspring etc.) devices existed, they were PDAs, and the reason Palm beat out Apple's Newton is probably that…

part of the story that is forgotten..there is a specific part of software in the mobile OS that Palm invented and patented and than gave that patent away for free to anyone who wanted to use it..if you are a mobile OS geek you know piece I am talking about

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#22

Post by bowlofpetunias »

nerfhammer wrote: post #2

> It also offers a portrait of Silicon Valley engineers that differs sharply from their current caricature as well-paid villains who are driving up the price of real estate in San Francisco and making the city unbearable for others. What? "unbearable"? That seems a little out of place. Would most NYTimes readers have any idea what he's talking about? From the author's recent articles list: -- In little more than a de…

We could use a bit more self-reflection and a little less shooting the messenger around here.

If you only want to read happy happy joy, disruption yeah, cheerleader stories about how awesome the tech industry is, I suggest TechCrunch.

Our industry has a pervading attitude of treating anybody who is not "us" as roadkill on the highway to progress. That's going to turn against us a lot harder then these few relatively mild articles.

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#23

Post by tn13 »

This is really pathetic. I can understand companies being ruthless in maximizing their profits but this sort of move is seriously counter productive. If the wages are not competitive it also means less incentive for bright youngsters to get into these professions. If this kind of agreements become more common, I think that will be like we killing our future.

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#25

Post by stock_toaster »

RachelF wrote: post #10
WildUtah wrote: post #5

What can the villains in this drama use as power to force their illegal price fixing on reluctant companies? Just what you'd expect. "Mr. Jobs proposed a no-poaching deal to Edward T. Colligan, Palm’s chief executive. Mr. Colligan responded that such a deal would be unfair to employees as well as “likely illegal.” Mr. Jobs then threatened to unleash Apple’s patent lawyers on Palm." Yep. It's our badly broken patent s…

Interesting, since most of Palm's ideas on smartphones pre-dated the iPhone. No wonder we've changed the patent law to first to file, rather than first to invent.

Don't forget the newton!

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#26

Post by drakaal »

This is the 99% lead charge that annoys me the most. (especially since many of the people leading it aren't 99%'ers they just think they are)

The assumption is that the only places to work are the big companies. Anti-Poaching agreements are rarely about the Money and more about the "I won't steal your trade secrets if you don't steal mine" types of "we can't patent this stuff" stand offs.

It is also protection against having a company put another company out of business by "poaching".

You look at some of the teams at companies and you can see where a group of 10 guys went from company to company. When they all left most the time that company failed. You can't withstand a blow of having 40% of your team walk, and take everything they were working on to a larger competing company.

"Salary Fixing" doesn't work. Someone always offers 15% more to get better talent and when that eats in to the talent pool everyone else has to ante up as well.

Silicon Valley just feels entitled. Yeah it costs more to live there, but the expendable income of SV engineers is vast compared to engineers anywhere else in the US, and the world.

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#28

Post by dredmorbius »

RachelF wrote: post #10
WildUtah wrote: post #5

What can the villains in this drama use as power to force their illegal price fixing on reluctant companies? Just what you'd expect. "Mr. Jobs proposed a no-poaching deal to Edward T. Colligan, Palm’s chief executive. Mr. Colligan responded that such a deal would be unfair to employees as well as “likely illegal.” Mr. Jobs then threatened to unleash Apple’s patent lawyers on Palm." Yep. It's our badly broken patent s…

Interesting, since most of Palm's ideas on smartphones pre-dated the iPhone. No wonder we've changed the patent law to first to file, rather than first to invent.

Size of portfolio matters.

This is the reason that tech companies seek to acquire large rather than technically sound patent portfolios.

Briefly: defense against infringement runs around $1-$10 million per patent )(it may be higher, my information's somewhat dated). Defeat one patent, and the company with the larger portfolio presses suit with another, and another. Even if the plaintiff successfully defends itself against these suits, it's still out $1-$10 million per patent. Often far better to strike a licensing deal for $40k (or some value less than $1-$10m).

It's possible to countersue, and this happens, usually with the result that the companies reach a cross-licensing arrangement.

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#29

Post by Nate75Sanders »

zcarter wrote: post #6

Some relevant points for engineers addressed here: http://blog.mightyspring.com/post/74827679281/battling-outsi... Know who (with)holds information Avoid information asymmetry

It's standard to mention that you work for the company you're promoting.

Re: Engineers Allege Hiring Collusion in Silicon Valley

#30

Post by tostitos1979 »

curiousDog wrote: post #27

I'm still surprised Google was in on this considering they are developer friendly and are a "do-no-evil" company to a considerable extent. It was probably pressure from Jobs. Developers hurt by this should squeeze them for every penny possible.

I am going to respond to this with a quote from the Batman reboot: it is not who you are inside, but it is what you do that defines you.
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