13 votes

Anthony Levandowski sentenced to eighteen months in prison for stealing self-driving trade secrets from Google before joining Uber

4 comments

  1. [2]
    rosco
    Link
    I have such a hard time with this stuff because on one hand it was a non-violent crime, so a short stint sounds reasonable. But those trade secrets are work millions and poor BIPOC folks can get...

    I have such a hard time with this stuff because on one hand it was a non-violent crime, so a short stint sounds reasonable. But those trade secrets are work millions and poor BIPOC folks can get decades or end up like George Floyd for stealing a can of Pepsi. White collar crime needs to be tried like blue collar crime until we have a total overhaul of our justice system.

    6 votes
    1. Kenny
      Link Parent
      I feel you, but also, "two wrongs don't make a right" comes into play here. It's a logical fallacy to consider it an either-or.

      I feel you, but also, "two wrongs don't make a right" comes into play here. It's a logical fallacy to consider it an either-or.

      6 votes
  2. kfwyre
    Link
    I don't have a good perspective on most companies, so I don't know if Uber's scumminess is common or unique, but I do know they've got quite the laundry list of transparently corrupt practices....

    I don't have a good perspective on most companies, so I don't know if Uber's scumminess is common or unique, but I do know they've got quite the laundry list of transparently corrupt practices.

    The "Criticism" section of their Wikipedia page offers a good summary. It has the usual complaints, but then includes details like how the company hired people to cancel thousands of Lyft rides to disrupt their service, or how they developed a "panic button" system that locked down computers and changed passwords to counteract repeated police raids.

    5 votes
  3. Toric
    Link
    I dont like trade secrets laws. Patents exist for a reason. You tell the public how you do something, and, in exchange, you get a monopoly on that tech for a time. Trade secrets get protected in...

    I dont like trade secrets laws. Patents exist for a reason. You tell the public how you do something, and, in exchange, you get a monopoly on that tech for a time. Trade secrets get protected in much the same way as trade secrets, but nothing is given to the public.

    If you want your design protected, patent it.

    3 votes