Re:Experience != IP (Score 1)

From my perspective as a Mechanical Engineer I tend to agree with Capt_Troy. Experience and knowledge is not a static thing and a designer in any field HAS TO build on his experience. Non competition agreements are very dificult to enforce, though patents and copyrights are a lot easier. I tend to see concepts as a result of individual talent and in this case, Cliff stated that his employee stated that "he'd solved a very similar problem a previous place of employment". The total of the project, however, it seems was a joint effort. ("they had developed a "neat" solution.") It follows that the concept was something from his personal experience and is useable but the total solution was a joint effort and as such intellectual property of his former employer. Ernie