Most non-compete clauses are invalid in California. This "agreement" was an attempt to get around that law. Also, the reason it's a federal case, this "agreeme

Most non-compete clauses are invalid in California. This "agreement" was an attempt to get around that law. Also, the reason it's a federal case, this "agreement" was done amongst the employers without the consent of the employees. If it were not California, and there actually was a non-compete in their contracts then you may have had a point. There's a major difference between you agreeing to not compete and your employer actively preventing you from obtaining alternative employment.