Colleague "Sharing" Previous Company's Drawings 9

[code1]

An interesting incident happened to me- in talking to my younger, new colleague who was obviously eager to please, I mentioned the previous area of work she was in (similar industry).

Was I suprised when she launched into it and... pulled out the drawings of the design to show me highlighting the "pride and joy" of the ex-company's equipment. And the whole set of her ex-company's drawings is stored in her (my) company desk-top computer.

I only started the conversation as a way to build rapport and had no interest in the her ex-company's designs. I supervise her at work.

Has this ever happened to you. What is a good way to tackle this? Launch into Ethics 101? My curreny company has a lot of propriety information and designs as well, and I dread a repeat of this between her and another competitor in the future...

 

[monkeydog]

code1,
Just for closure, what are you going to do (re-your original question)?

 

[BJC]

Part of ( or all ) of a drawing represent the effort of indivual and are part of their professional portfolio.
I have drawings from companies I know no longer work for. The logos, names and other data have been removed from the drawings. Whats left is my original work. I feel I have a right to keep it. I didn't feel like copying it onto a piece of butcher paper, especially when there were copies going out in the trash.

 

[code1]

Re-my original question:

Forward plan:

1. Start on the Ethics 101, but do not want to lecture. Lead by example.

2. Make sure drawings are removed from Company Computer(Liability reasons).

3. Monitor to ensure that present company stuff is protected- not easy task.

 

[Ashereng]

The logos, names and other data have been removed from the drawings. Whats left is my original work. I feel I have a right to keep it. I didn't feel like copying it onto a piece of butcher paper, especially when there were copies going out in the trash.

Yes, I often feel the same way. Actually, I still do.

If you had an "employment" contract, chances are that you signed an agreement that all of your work is actually the property of your employer. I have signed many such employment agreements. In addition, all inventions, by defaut, belong to my employer, unless I can prove otherwise that it was developed totally and separately on my own (or was origianlly listed as excluded in the original employment declaration of inventions underway).

If you had an "contractor's" contract, it also usually states the same, except the scope is more narrowly defined, in that it is expected that you also work for other clients too. However, everything you do produce, does belong to the client who is paying.



"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[BJC]

Ashereng
I doubt if while working for them I invented the starte scheme for a 4160 volt motor, or the differential scheme for line up of switchgear. I more than likely didn't use a different size cable that 199 other engineers would have used.
If they were to sue me I could produce the same designs done by someon 40 years before I did it for the them. Most have been published in books, magazine and in the public domain.
Most engineers spend 95 % of their time doing stuff that's been done before. Originally is seldom needed in a lot of engineering. I like to same examles of routing stuff so I have more time real engineering.

 

[MedicineEng]

The situation of the knowledge taken from a place to teh other is always a slippery floor. Regarding drawings I am with most of you folks: if it is from company A should remain in company A unless it is public domain.

A similar situation but with a more ethereal type of knowledge:

Imagine that while a employee (with a general confidenciality agreement) of company A, you worked with a supplier that had a very competitive equipment.
You change to company B and you notice that they are considering to buy a worse/more expensive equipment. What do you do? You step in and say that you know someone that has better equipment?

For me, I confess that it would be difficult not to step in and avoid that the company makes a bad choice. What's your oppinion?

 

[GregLocock]

Yes, one reason you are employed is to use your prior knowledge. I know that runs against the general argument in this thread, but short of leaving your brain behind, the stuff you know is part of your value.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[KENAT]

Yes you step in, per Greg you're paid at least partly for your experience.

I don't see any conflict of interest in doing so.

 

[Ashereng]

In the US and Canada, employment cases have usually agreed that technical "knowledge" gained (as in "it's in your head") is the employee's to keep and re-use.

Sepcific knowledge, like next years forecast or pricing scheme, is not the employee's to keep. The employee and their new employer may be held liable if that type of knowledge is used.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[BJC]

One reason I use to keep drawings was to show cad operators what I wanted them to draw. Nothing secret or misterious about the scheme or circuit. I kept running into cad operators who were good at Autocad but had never drawn a motor starting circuit. You had to educate them and the best way was with a xerox of the section of a saved drawing.

 

[DarthSoilsGuy]

Your typical young new hire has probably already committed more intellectual property crimes than you and your ancestors combined. perhaps standard details will become STANDARD DETAILS, especially if we all end up outsourcing to the same people. the real stuff to protect is your marketing and client info with a trust-based access program. All the gray hairs remember how long it took to make those details the first time and that bites.

you've got two options: 1) lock-down and put up firewalls.

2) run a company where the employees take ownership of their projects. unfortunately, it's hard to leave something you "own". don't lose people to your competition and you'll be all right (Ha!). Remember, nobody is interesting in buying details anymore, it's all the other things an engineering company can bring to the table that counts and gets the repeat business or recommendations.

 

[ckenny]

Unless it is called something else nowdays, it is thievery and it is performed by a thieve.

 

[stevenal]

What's a thieve?

 

[monkeydog]

Thieve is a verb meaning "rob"

http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thieve

 

[stevenal]

I know the verb. Still don't know what a thieve is.

 

[Callie81]

Sounds like stevenal is preforming the fuction of the grammer police today...
I believe he may have meant thief...
Which is the one who robs, rather that the verb to rob.

 

[GTstartup]

Grammer?

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

"... preforming the fuction of the grammer ... "

WOW ... a hat-trick! I almost started smoking again after the second one.

 

[Callie81]

grammar...

If my job relied on me to spell correctly than I would be unemployable, so sue me....

 

[UDP10]

Our company views our drawings as property of whatever client we produced them for (as they bought them). They can (and have) given them to competition, etc. Our intellectual property is how we came up with the numbers behind the drawings, not the drawings themselves.