Non-compete is a somewhat generalized term being used here, but it can mean what you referenced ("don't poach customers") as well as "don't steal our product id

Non-compete is a somewhat generalized term being used here, but it can mean what you referenced ("don't poach customers") as well as "don't steal our product ideas". These are sometimes called NDA or PIIA (1) which might be better representations of what we are talking about here. In this case, the company is claiming that he stole their code (an 'invention' or 'property' of the company) for the benefit of some other party. NDA or PIIA agreements are common in software development. 1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-disclosure_agreement