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by LinuxBender·9y ago·view on hn ↗
AFAIK and from my own experience, non-competes are not enforceable in most states, or have little to no legal teeth. Anyone concerned should consult with an attorney.

Somewhat related, where folks usually get into trouble is reuse of intellectual property or derivative works. IP laws actually have teeth and are enforced in numerous countries.

1 comments
In our system it actually doesn't matter if they have no legal teeth. If your former employer wants to spend money to take you to court to attempt to enforce a non-compete, you'll be forced to spend tens of thousands of dollars (if not hundreds) defending yourself.

It doesn't matter if they'll eventually lose. Just as long as they can play legal chicken with you and get you to give up because you don't want to waste all your money on lawyers defending yourself.

I completely agree that some businesses will play chicken. Fear of being dragged into court is a powerful thing.