Ubisoft Injuncts Tremblay For Joining Vivendi 43
simoniker writes "According to an Ubisoft statement, the company has obtained an injunction against Martin Tremblay, who recently left as Ubisoft Montreal head to run Vivendi Games, in an attempt to enforce a non-compete clause. This is particularly notable/ironic because Tremblay was in charge of Ubisoft Montreal's previous aggressive attempts to enforce its non-compete for game developers who left to join EA Montreal - the whole situation again brings up the discussion of whether non-compete clauses are at all sensible."
First (bad) pun? (Score:4, Funny)
AAAARGH!
Bah! (Score:4, Informative)
Québec labour laws are extremely liberal towards workers (heck, here is the only place where Wall-Marde stores have successfully unionized [wikipedia.org] - make sure you check the edit wars on Wikipedia), so it is very likely that they will be told to pound sand...
Re:Bah! (Score:1)
Re:Bah! (Score:2)
Re:Bah! (Score:2)
the store staff was unionized.
yet, just 3 years later, they built a whole new building and opened a Walmart store, with a non-union workforce.
remarkable, no?
Wal-mart workers in China can be union... (Score:1)
Richard McGregor
The Financial Times, 23 November 2004
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, said on Tuesday it would agree to establish officially-sanctioned unions in its 40-odd Chinese stores, but only if its workers requested that it form one.
Wal-Mart, which has long battled to keep unions out of its stores in the US and around the world, has been under pressure from the All China Federation of Trade Unions, an official organisation, to allow it to esta
Re:Wal-mart workers in China can be union... (Score:2)
Not that unions makes much difference in china, trade unions only really exist and function properly in democratic countries, which is the reason why good trade unions put so much effort into ensuring their countries do remain properly democrati
Re:Bah! (Score:1)
How he could have expected to not have this thrown at him is a mystery. There is news in the pipeline though, expect to hear from Tremblay on the matter soon! (I've only seen the French news report so far, it'll get anglo press soon)
Stupid (Score:4, Insightful)
I don't know about the legality of such clauses since I am not a lawyer (but I am inclined to think they are legal), but I do think they're dumb. What it does is close doors for the employee. Fired? Don't like your job? Too bad, you can't work for a competitor. While this doesn't lock the employee out of the industry entirely, it does restrict them from a specific area, for example, game companies, security companies, OS companies, etc. So you have tons of C++ and graphics experience working for a game company? Well now you can learn a whole new skillset with Java, Oracle, AJAX, etc. and go write web applications. Sure, it's still programming, but it's totally different technology, different programming paradigm, and requires time to adjust.
Gun, meet foot. Pull trigger.
Re:Stupid (Score:1)
Anybody who signs a conrtact with the ability to apply a "non-compete" clause to an employee that doesn't quit voluntarily has to be a real sucker. I would certainly hope that it's not legal in that case.
Re:Stupid (Score:2)
The legality of non-compete clauses is largely regional. In the US alone, the degrees to which such clauses are valid varies from state to state. From country to country the differences are even greater.
Re:Stupid (Score:3, Informative)
IANAL, but I believe in Canada, the courts have to see the "reasonableness" of the non-compete - is it for a specific geographica area for a specific period of time, that sort of thing. And the courts in general, when it is an individual v. a group (company, association, etc) fighting a case where the indivi
Re:Stupid (Score:3, Insightful)
They are in the US. They're not here in Norway.
I'll take Socialism and Civil Rights over the right to be fucked over any day.
So here's what I want to know. (Score:5, Insightful)
Wait for Godot?
Work in another field?
Hope that two years of letting his valuable skills sit unused won't affect his marketability?
Eh?
Re:So here's what I want to know. (Score:2)
Exactly. I believe in some places, these are almost unenforceable -- you can't deny someone their livelihood.
If I can't work for a competitor for two years, you better be paying me for those two years. Otherwise, it makes no sense!
quick English lesson (Score:5, Informative)
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
First they joined, then they enjoined? Valuable means the same thing as invaluable? What a silly language!
Re:quick English lesson (Score:1)
Valuable and invaluable do not have the same meaning.
valuable (vl'y--bl, vl'y-) http://www.answers.com/topic/valuable [answers.com]
adj.
1. Having considerable monetary or material value for use or exchange: a valuable diamond.
2. Of great importance, use, or service: valuable information; valuable advice.
3. Having admirable or esteemed qualities or characteristics: a valuable friend.
invaluable (n-vl'y--bl) http://www.answers.com/topic/invaluable [answers.com]
adj.
Of inest
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
On the second count
Re:quick English lesson (Score:1)
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
flamable means something will burn
inflamable means it will BURN
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
"Inflammable" is British English usage (although these days they're interchangeable). It means that you can "inflame" it.
Grab.
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
Re:quick English lesson (Score:5, Funny)
Re:quick English lesson (Score:1)
injunct [astrologyweekly.com]
A Philosophical Question (Score:1)
Re:A Philosophical Question (Score:1)
Re:quick English lesson (Score:2)
It probably should be:
or
unenforceable? (Score:1)
That seems reason
-My- rights online?? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:-My- rights online?? (Score:1)
Re:-My- rights online?? (Score:2, Insightful)
I wish him luck, I think NC clauses are dumb, but the last time someone asked me to sign one, I just crossed out that section and went on with my life. He's simply paying the price for signing something he didn't want to agree tol
Re:-My- rights online?? (Score:2)
Ding ding ding! This is the correct response. Contracts are negotiations, if you sign without reading, understanding and accepting everything within, you have no right to bitch later. Next time you find a non-compete that restricts you from working in the same industry AFTER you have left the current company, cross it out. What are they going to do?
Make Them Pay (Score:3, Interesting)
aka Gardening Leave (Score:2)
Funny, he is FOR non-competes! (Score:2)
Funny how the shoe is on the other foot now.