4 ms·

IANAL, but I doubt your friend's non-compete with Best Buy was enforceable, unless of course he was dealing with trade secrets or managing long term sales relat

IANAL, but I doubt your friend's non-compete with Best Buy was enforceable, unless of course he was dealing with trade secrets or managing long term sales relationships. I imagine the idea of a ordinary floor rep dealing with trade secrets would raise some eyebrows at court. http://www.beckreedriden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/noncompetes-50-state-survey-chart-20170204.pdf http://www.beckreedriden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nonc...

bittermang 9y ago
I also doubt an ordinary floor rep has the ability to press a case like that to court. Lawyers aren't free.
- icebraining 9y ago
  Would Best Buy really sue an ordinary floor rep, though?
  - lovich 9y ago
    To intimidate all the other employees? I'd believe it. Companies do act similarly when they go after individuals or mom and pop stores for trademark infrigement
    - pmiller2 9y ago
      Trademark infringement is a little different, because a company has to protect its mark to avoid losing it.
  - lazulicurio 9y ago
    They'd probably just write a threatening letter, and that would be enough for the Apple Store to fire the friend. Unless you're high enough in the food chain, a company would rather drop you than deal with the potential trouble (even if the threat is completely bogus).
  - masklinn 9y ago
    It's a company with $40bn revenue, you better believe they have a fleet of lawyers on retainer, they've got little reason to not make use of those lawyers.
FussyZeus 9y ago
I'm kind of picturing a B2B sales person maybe? I really can't see a company the size of Best Buy going to that length for a regular floor rep. Maybe a service tech? Even then that seems a stretch.
- bittermang 9y ago
  Nope. He was a regular floor guy who sometimes worked in the Geek Squad department. He was pursuing an opportunity at Apple because the pay was better. When Apple learned he was currently employed at Best Buy, they basically ceased communications citing the non compete with Best Buy. The situation was probably complicated by Apple's mini Apple Store installments inside of Best Buy at the time, which I hear were sometimes staffed by Apple employees, not people on Best Buy's clock. Still, in the end, he missed out on working at a different store with more pay, because of non compete agreements and two mega corporations throwing their weight around.
  - FussyZeus 9y ago
    That is utterly horrifying.

bittermang 9y ago

I also doubt an ordinary floor rep has the ability to press a case like that to court. Lawyers aren't free.

icebraining 9y ago
Would Best Buy really sue an ordinary floor rep, though?
- lovich 9y ago
  To intimidate all the other employees? I'd believe it. Companies do act similarly when they go after individuals or mom and pop stores for trademark infrigement
  - pmiller2 9y ago
    Trademark infringement is a little different, because a company has to protect its mark to avoid losing it.
- lazulicurio 9y ago
  They'd probably just write a threatening letter, and that would be enough for the Apple Store to fire the friend. Unless you're high enough in the food chain, a company would rather drop you than deal with the potential trouble (even if the threat is completely bogus).
- masklinn 9y ago
  It's a company with $40bn revenue, you better believe they have a fleet of lawyers on retainer, they've got little reason to not make use of those lawyers.

FussyZeus 9y ago

I'm kind of picturing a B2B sales person maybe? I really can't see a company the size of Best Buy going to that length for a regular floor rep. Maybe a service tech? Even then that seems a stretch.

bittermang 9y ago
Nope. He was a regular floor guy who sometimes worked in the Geek Squad department. He was pursuing an opportunity at Apple because the pay was better. When Apple learned he was currently employed at Best Buy, they basically ceased communications citing the non compete with Best Buy. The situation was probably complicated by Apple's mini Apple Store installments inside of Best Buy at the time, which I hear were sometimes staffed by Apple employees, not people on Best Buy's clock. Still, in the end, he missed out on working at a different store with more pay, because of non compete agreements and two mega corporations throwing their weight around.
- FussyZeus 9y ago
  That is utterly horrifying.