Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by mikeshreds 3927 days ago
One of the best ways to discourage bad behavior is to shine a light on it, which is why we're publishing our story.

The risk here isn't that your former employer actually has a right to your company under the scenarios you listed. It's that if they have the resources, they can bleed you in litigation before your case is ever adjudicated. It's like a form of patent trolling, they're using the process to achieve an end they'd never get in adjudication.
2 comments
giancarlostoro 3927 days ago
I'm surprised you can't just sue them on the basis that they keep bringing up fraudulent charges against you and wasting the legal departments rather valuable time? If something like this isn't possible, then our legal system is currently flawed. I'm not a law expert but that's just awful.
link
anseljh 3927 days ago
That can be done -- there is a claim for malicious prosecution. But you have to win the first case before you can bring it.

The other alternative, in the current case, is to ask the court for sanctions.

link
toomuchtodo 3927 days ago
If they have the resources to bleed you in litigation, would they not have the resources to care little about bad PR?
link
jegutman 3927 days ago
Depends on the company. PR is a proportional thing. If the CEO of a company is caught on video killing kittens that can kill 50% of a $100,000,000 company or 50% of $1,000,000 company. Public relations / branding is proportional in that way. Money on the other hand is slightly more constant, so in the two cases above it might be a 2 million dollar hit to each. A possible gamble to the 100 million dollar company but not to the 1 million dollar company.
link
rancur 3927 days ago
> is caught on video killing kittens

?

link
TallGuyShort 3927 days ago
Just an extreme example of bad PR.
link
brongondwana 3927 days ago
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-09/dentist-walter-palmer-...
link
pbh101 3927 days ago
Maybe if it were Oracle, but in this case it is another startup which runs in the same circles and benefits from credibility from a similar audience, even if only for developer recruiting.
link
toomuchtodo 3927 days ago
Oracle is exactly who came to mind when I was typing out my reply :)
link