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From: sasw@bnl.UUCP (Steven Akiba Swernofsky)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Re: Intellectual property agreements with an employer
Message-ID: <349@bnl.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 18-Feb-84 16:53:03 EST
Article-I.D.: bnl.349
Posted: Sat Feb 18 16:53:03 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Feb-84 08:21:43 EST
References: <1246@unc-c.UUCP>
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Re this question --

      Another question w.r.t. Scott Orshan's article: Could they keep you
    from earning a living in your trade/profession?

I haven't seen Scott's article, but employee "agreements not to compete"
are generally unenforceable.  Almost all states hold that the only time
an agreement like this can be enforced is when it is attendant to a sale
of a business, where the seller agrees not to start a similar business
in competition.  (Even so, the agreement must be reasonable as to time
and place.)  New York allows them only if the employee is "special,
unique, or extraordinary" -- and you practically have to be a star
athlete to qualify in that category.

-- Steve