1 yr. ago • 95%

Apple accused of ‘trying to thwart emerging startups through anticompetitive measures’

www.livemint.com Apple accused of ‘trying to thwart emerging startups’

Chip startup Rivos has countersued Apple, claiming that Apple's employment agreements are unenforceable and stifle competition.

35 comments

52
"The market regulates itself."

51
- deleted
  
  10
I’m an Apple customer but this is straight up wrong. Non-compete clauses this broad are ridiculous and practically stop ex-employees working anywhere they’re actually skilled to work. It quite literally ends someone’s career after their tenure.

If you’re expertise is SoC design and implementation, to be contractually restricted from working anywhere else that does SoC-related business is effectively kicking you out of the very industry and job pool you’re capable of working. Your mobility is totally stifled.

These kinds of restrictive covenants need to be outlawed or at least be limited to a short time frame no more than six months, requiring ex employers to pay the ex employee during this time if made redundant or fired or requiring the incumbent employer to pay the new employee during this time until they’re legally able to work again.

Hopefully this case goes against Apple favour and sets a strong precedent against absurd non compete clauses like this.

46
- In Denmark, non compete clauses like these require the old employer to pay you for the period you're not allowed to compete.
  
  30
  
  Darn that Denmark and its sensible employment laws and strong economy (especially considering GDP per capita).
  
  17
- Non-compete clauses should be illegal (or done like in Denmark, like the example of our fellow commenter here)
  
  4
  
  They’re illegal in the province I live in. They were all voided a few years ago.
  
  1
Not Apple, any big business. Are you new to capitalism little one?

25
- Was going to say, fuck Apple, but if you think they’re alone in this, you are obscenely naive
  
  10
  
  we can still say fuck apple
  
  2
  
  Well, are the other ones accused?
  
  0
I think it goes back to Rockefeller and Standard Oil. Buy or squash competition until you are the only one standing. Certainly Bill Gates did this and quite aggressively at times.

23
- Any big company that doesn’t do this is doing it wrong. You may not like it but that’s the way things work. But all big companies will eventually fall given enough time and management changes.
  
  0
- Permanently Deleted
  
  -14
  
  Since when is trying to keep someone from earning a living in their field of expertise because they worked for you count as 'legitimate'?
  
  12
  
  Permanently Deleted
  
  -9
Nothing to see here. Apple doing apple things.

14
They killed DarkSky. We need to break up Apple.

10
Each day, I read people discovering neoliberalism. It amazes me how naive people are.

8
Buy it or kill it. Every big corp ever.

6
Shocked Pikachu

5

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