-Caveat Lector- http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/26627.html
Acatel Owns US Employee's Thoughts - The Register Alcatel owns US employee's thoughts By Tim Richardson Posted: 12/08/2002 at 11:17 GMT A US man says he will appeal a court's decision which ruled that an idea that existed only in his mind belonged to his employer. Evan Brown has been working on an idea to convert old computer code so that it can be run on modern machine since 1975. When Brown mentioned the idea to his employers while he worked for DSC Communications of Plano, Texas (subsequently bought by Alcatel) DSC decided it owned the rights to Brown's insight and demanded that he revealed his idea. Brown refused and he was fired. DCS then launched legal action against him to gain possession of his thoughts. Almost six years later and Brown has finally been told by a judge that DCS is entitled to his idea. He's also been told to stump up $332,000 in legal costs. Throughout the legal process Brown maintained that he'd never written down the idea, only solved part of it while employed by DCS and thought of some of it outside office hours. His former employer maintained that he had signed a contract which contained a clause giving DCS ownership rights of any of his "inventions". Brown's idea was deemed to be an "invention". On his Web site Brown claims he's been "railroaded" and has vowed to appeal. He also launched a scathing attack on the justice system in Texas. The lesson from DSC/Alcatel .vs. Evan Brown? If you've got a good idea, keep it under your hat. That, or abstain from thinking altogether. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
