matrox Vs nvidia in court?

[red2]

There are such things called "Time and Territory Restrictions." These are legally enforceable contracts. For example, I own a pizzeria in a small town. I train somebody and give him all my secrets, but I make him sign a contract stating that he will not use this knowledge within a 50 mile radius or 2 year period. This saves me from losing my customers to the new guy that uses my stuff. It works the same way for the IT industry. You better believe Matrox legal has such restrictions. Just look at their three page disclaimer on the drivers' download page. I am willing to bet Nvidia will lose. Remember, Matrox is 2x the size of Nvidia and has been in the graphics industry since nearly the beginning. I think they would know infringement and illegal recruiting if they saw it.

[ALBPM]

Oh!! Yuk!!!! Not that kind of 'STRANGE' tuco...

I mean they disappear and are never heard from again.

I think the 'STRANGE' your refering to is like taking a wrong turn in Santa Fe or 'Fanta Se', 'The City Different' as we refer to that city nowadays.

Paul

[CrazyBee]

Happens ALL the time.

Point is, its a bit too late. nVidia already has the stuff on DualHead tech. That's something Matrox can't stop.

Also, notice that one suit was filed in Canada and the other in the U.S.

It's not illegal to get someone from another company. And, depending on the employee contract, may or may not be illegal to get a job in the same industry. But, it is illegal to hire an employee of another company in the same field and have him spill his guts.

Intel did the same thing a little while ago by hiring Motorola employees.

Happened in Germany with GM and VW. VW "recruited" 13 top executives and, oh, 215 classified documents. Did not make it to the U.S. aside from a few back section articles in the Washington Post. VW payed over 4 billion to GM in parts, service, and money to keep a lid on it. But, then again, thats in Germany.

Also, if someone worked for Matrox in Canada and was pulled by nVidia to work in the U.S. The Canada employement agreement does not apply in the U.S.. Bad mojo and PR without a doubt. But, technically legal.

[tuco]

ahhh ALBPM, a case of you ain't from around here are you boy?.

[ahartman]

Non-compete clauses are usually reserved for execs & key personnel - rarely the rank & file employees who don't have the totality of knowledge to apply most of what they work on.

Also, for a company to do business in the US, it must be incorporated (in some manner) in the US. I'm no lawyer, but the cross-border poaching could probably be pinned on the US (or Canadian) corporation.

Over the last few years, we've seen a number of executive non-complete clauses declared unenforceable for any number of reasons.

[Jutai]

Man NVidia really stinks, that is some foul crap they're slingin'. First they say that Matrox is wrongfully persuing them which is fine of course that's what they are gonna say but then they have the gaul to counter-sue Matrox for mmonetary damages... but here's the real kicker they expect Matrox to contractually release their employee's and deem it acceptable and legal in the future to do the very act under dispute and state that their non-competition agreements are null and void in the state of California meaning at any time NVidia can catch a flight to Canada and say "hey that's a nice T&L engine you got there the technology must have taken a lot of work to develop" "we'll take your head developer from the T&L engine department and have ours in no time!" Then just for the cost of ONE developer to change sides all of big M's secrets are benefiting the competition watch out NVg800 is set to be released early this fall.

[This message has been edited by Jutai (edited 11 July 2000).]

[Salmonius]

I was going to get a geforce2 MX PCI for my 810e computer but I don't think I will anymore. Who knows where that technology comes from anyway? I know it's not much but it's the only power I have over them (similar to democracy really).

Anyway, I am very much looking forward to the g450 for my other computer. I hope that it's pretty cheap because I can get the g400 32MB single-head for $170CND. The g450 will keep me happy until the g800 or better comes out.

I think that Matrox should sue nvidia for several billion dollars and if they win use that cash to buy the foundries that make the nvidia chips. That would teach them a good lesson, especially if they are not able to supply MS for the x-box. Also, I hope that ATI kicks nvidia in the balls with their new found aggressivity.

[dZeus]

I just hope nVidia will turn into the next Intel.... (i.e. they will now f*ck up some product cycles with stuff nobody wants)

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- What do you get when you put N nVidia whores in a circle and each one pats the person on their right on the back and says "nVidia wins 3dfx and Michael Knight any day of the week!" ?

- You get N people with a boosted ego, and no-one loses anything; keep up the good work, boys!

[tuco]

well my moneys on a g800 variant no matter what they do, although i'm bound to own a geforce sooner or later.... after all, the rate in which nvidia is churning out successors i'm bound to find a 1st gen sdr in a special promotional box of cornflakes.

[Elie]

The N in Nvidia stands for Nvious, the bastards!!!

[Drizzt]

As I already said, Nvidia is the sound of the italian word for envie.

------------------
Italian Guy, Bad English

D'ya want an Italian version?

[orangejulius]

From http://hypothermia.gamershardware.com/hypo_pinion_2.htm

I guess it just irks me a tad, to see someone who DITCHED everyone when she was at one company, POP up at NVIDIA like she knows what the hells going on and talking trash on the competitors. . . . up until two months ago, she WAS a competitior.

[Ant]

I've had enough dealings with PR people over the last 5 years of running the MURC and one thing I do know, they are on the front line and have to do exactly what they are told to do. It's the people behind them that should be attacked. I'm not sticking up for anyone here I've been on both ends of the stick with PR people, my opinion is if they are being awkward for whatever reason to leave it and get on with the job of running my site the way I want to. I'll never let anyone interefere with that even if it means not getting hardware to review. Perhaps other sites feel these companies owe them something for running the sites, I don't but then I don't consider the MURC as a "fan" site, well certainly not a fan of the company, if anything a fan of the user maybe that's what it's here for, fellow users, not to glorify Matrox and hope for hand outs.

As to the way these companies do business, non of them are angels believe me. It's business, BIG business, that means making lots of money and screw your competitors and in many cases your customers as well.

[WereWolf]

I don't trust these big corps like intel, microsoft and nvidia...
they're a bunch of arrogant twits, that try (and mostly succeed) to get away with murder!
But now these &*^&*^$&% nvious *^&*%* are messing with our beloved Matrox! I say sue em for all they've got!
these companies need to be taught a lesson in manners.

Good luck matrox!

[qball]

I don't trust these big corps like intel, microsoft and nvidia...
they're a bunch of arrogant twits, that try (and mostly succeed) to get away with murder!
But now these &*^&*^$&% nvious *^&*%* are messing with our beloved Matrox! I say sue em for all they've got!
these companies need to be taught a lesson in manners.

I do believe that Matrox is twice the size of nVidia.

-Q