4 ms·

I once got an email from Motorola/Google regarding one of my projects/startups and then after a phone call I hopped on a plane to meet/demo my technology to the

I once got an email from Motorola/Google regarding one of my projects/startups and then after a phone call I hopped on a plane to meet/demo my technology to them. During the phone call it was asked.... have you ever thought of selling your technology and we'd love for you to demo. Well this type of interaction is what almost ever startupper/inventor wants to receive and then sell their technology to the big G. Turns out the big G (Motorola ATAP at the time now Google ATAP) were a bunch of jerks who just wanted to know how our non-public technology worked. After flying from Bmore to Silly Valley .. filing our provisioinal patent and then them prying the info out of us with the bait of buying it we were quickly showed the door and told the race is one... better hurry. I guess that's part of Google's R&D process...stomp on & treat the little guy like garbage!?! YOu need to lawyer up if you don't have connections who are connected to X big brand. It's David vs. Goliath and Goliath will just crush you and your hopes and dreams. Here is my blog post i wrote after our mutual NDA expired... http://ryanspahn.com/my-google-NDA-experience.html http://ryanspahn.com/my-google-NDA-experience.html.

tightmoderation 10y ago
The thing is -- they probably already know how it works. The idea of getting you to talk to them is legally defensive. They can say you explained it to them, or they explained it to you. It gives them a stronger position. Maybe there's even some clause in what you signed that says they own it if you told it to them. It's probably important to record all voice meetings.
nness 10y ago
Does that make Silicon Valley's "brain rape" scene eerily accurate? (Of course someone uploaded it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlwwVuSUUfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlwwVuSUUfc)
- LargeCompanies 10y ago
  I have heard that my true life story echos things that happen on the HBO show, "Silly Valley." I personally never watched it... too painful :-/ RE: that clip ....yeah and you can tell them your secret at that time, but they don't own you/your team, skills, passion nor the improvements made to the work over time. They just know how we were able to sync audio across any IP device via the web after two months into development. A ton has changed since then and 100% for the better.
ddebernardy 10y ago
> I guess that's part of Google's R&D process It wouldn't have been the first time they allegedly do it like that: https://www.reddit.com/r/SiliconValleyHBO/comments/339sty/just_like_what_happened_to_yelp/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SiliconValleyHBO/comments/339sty/ju... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp#Private_company_.282009.E2.80.932011.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp#Private_company_.282009.E...
- jwatte 10y ago
  Yeah, that's common for large companies, intentional or not. They have a large set of stakeholders who need to sign off, and they work on different timelines, and they have whole departments of people whose job it is to develop and propose acquisitions, of which maybe one in ten actually happen. A real offer comes with a real check. Don't engage more than very high level without a letter of intent. Don't stop what you're doing until the check clears.
- sleepingeights 10y ago
  Rule of Thumb: Don't pass around those kind of projects, planning, ideas, etc on Google+, GMail, Facebook, Bing, hotmail, Yahoo, #Slack etc... unless you intentionally want/expect someone else to run with the idea, because if it is any good they will run with it. Use E2E encryption to coordinate, communicate, etc but don't expect those services, software, and the hardware they run on to protect you or your company and ideas in any real meaningful manner.
  - OJFord 10y ago
    > Rule of Thumb: Don't pass around those kind of projects, planning, ideas, etc on Google+, GMail, Facebook, Bing, hotmail, Yahoo, #Slack etc... unless you intentionally want/expect someone else to run with the idea, because if it is any good they will run with it. What's the paranoia level of this suggestion? I mean, if you could prove that company X stole your novel idea from a conversation between you and someone not working for X on X's platform, you'd definitely come out on top right? So surely companies big enough to have a reasonable chance of such conversations going on aren't so stupid as to snoop for product ideas?
crispytx 10y ago
Very good point. Google did the same thing to Space Data Corp: took a look at their technology, paid them nothing, then used that knowledge to develop Project Loon.
- LargeCompanies 10y ago
  I have no idea what they did with the knowledge gained and do not purport to say they used it. I am curious if any of what they learned was then used in ChromeCast Audio as that GUY who invited me is a tech lead on that project.
LargeCompanies 10y ago
Oh and I never transferred the NDA from Motorola to Google per the letter they sent me in May of 2014 that's posted in my blog post. Google in 2014 sold Motorola to Lenovo, but kept Motorola ATAP. Ok sure I am going to sign that for you ... yeah right! I probably could have publicly talked about this early then May 2015, but I always keep my word until Im no longer legally binded too.
yuhong 10y ago
And the HN account used to post the parent was also originally a throwaway. These kinds of problems needs to be fixed.

tightmoderation 10y ago

The thing is -- they probably already know how it works. The idea of getting you to talk to them is legally defensive. They can say you explained it to them, or they explained it to you. It gives them a stronger position. Maybe there's even some clause in what you signed that says they own it if you told it to them. It's probably important to record all voice meetings.

nness 10y ago

Does that make Silicon Valley's "brain rape" scene eerily accurate? (Of course someone uploaded it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlwwVuSUUfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlwwVuSUUfc)

LargeCompanies 10y ago
I have heard that my true life story echos things that happen on the HBO show, "Silly Valley." I personally never watched it... too painful :-/ RE: that clip ....yeah and you can tell them your secret at that time, but they don't own you/your team, skills, passion nor the improvements made to the work over time. They just know how we were able to sync audio across any IP device via the web after two months into development. A ton has changed since then and 100% for the better.

ddebernardy 10y ago

> I guess that's part of Google's R&D process It wouldn't have been the first time they allegedly do it like that: https://www.reddit.com/r/SiliconValleyHBO/comments/339sty/just_like_what_happened_to_yelp/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SiliconValleyHBO/comments/339sty/ju... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp#Private_company_.282009.E2.80.932011.29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp#Private_company_.282009.E...

jwatte 10y ago
Yeah, that's common for large companies, intentional or not. They have a large set of stakeholders who need to sign off, and they work on different timelines, and they have whole departments of people whose job it is to develop and propose acquisitions, of which maybe one in ten actually happen. A real offer comes with a real check. Don't engage more than very high level without a letter of intent. Don't stop what you're doing until the check clears.
sleepingeights 10y ago
Rule of Thumb: Don't pass around those kind of projects, planning, ideas, etc on Google+, GMail, Facebook, Bing, hotmail, Yahoo, #Slack etc... unless you intentionally want/expect someone else to run with the idea, because if it is any good they will run with it. Use E2E encryption to coordinate, communicate, etc but don't expect those services, software, and the hardware they run on to protect you or your company and ideas in any real meaningful manner.
- OJFord 10y ago
  > Rule of Thumb: Don't pass around those kind of projects, planning, ideas, etc on Google+, GMail, Facebook, Bing, hotmail, Yahoo, #Slack etc... unless you intentionally want/expect someone else to run with the idea, because if it is any good they will run with it. What's the paranoia level of this suggestion? I mean, if you could prove that company X stole your novel idea from a conversation between you and someone not working for X on X's platform, you'd definitely come out on top right? So surely companies big enough to have a reasonable chance of such conversations going on aren't so stupid as to snoop for product ideas?

crispytx 10y ago

Very good point. Google did the same thing to Space Data Corp: took a look at their technology, paid them nothing, then used that knowledge to develop Project Loon.

LargeCompanies 10y ago
I have no idea what they did with the knowledge gained and do not purport to say they used it. I am curious if any of what they learned was then used in ChromeCast Audio as that GUY who invited me is a tech lead on that project.

LargeCompanies 10y ago

Oh and I never transferred the NDA from Motorola to Google per the letter they sent me in May of 2014 that's posted in my blog post. Google in 2014 sold Motorola to Lenovo, but kept Motorola ATAP. Ok sure I am going to sign that for you ... yeah right! I probably could have publicly talked about this early then May 2015, but I always keep my word until Im no longer legally binded too.

yuhong 10y ago

And the HN account used to post the parent was also originally a throwaway. These kinds of problems needs to be fixed.