[ww8520]

California government did one thing right that few other states can match to encourage innovation - California Labor Code Section 2870. This single law negates many of the bullshit employment contracts required by companies to confiscate new idea and innovation from employees working at their home and at their own time. This actually helps to spawn off new startups. I will never move to and work in another state that doesn't have similar law.

[rdl]

Few other states HAVE matched this, but it's one of the easiest legislative changes any state could make to advance new business creation.

For non-US startup creation, I'd focus on "better" IP law, too. Most countries already don't have software patents.

[hga]

Wow! I had no idea California has such a law, and I e.g. know that Honeywell's standard and no exceptions employment contract in Massachusetts in the early '80s was a nasty issue for some would be startups by Multicians. I always found such provisions to be more than distasteful, they start the whole relationship on a really sour note.

As I and others have discussed elsewhere on this thread, sane and balanced employment law has had a critical positive effect on Silicon Valley. Given that SV is unique in the world, maybe an essential one.