Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S265896AbTF3VKz (ORCPT ); Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:10:55 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S265897AbTF3VKz (ORCPT ); Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:10:55 -0400 Received: from turing-police.cc.vt.edu ([128.173.14.107]:19340 "EHLO turing-police.cc.vt.edu") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S265896AbTF3VKx (ORCPT ); Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:10:53 -0400 Message-Id: <200306302125.h5ULPEjn004960@turing-police.cc.vt.edu> X-Mailer: exmh version 2.6.3 04/04/2003 with nmh-1.0.4+dev To: Andre Hedrick Cc: Linux Kernel Mailing List Subject: Re: Dell vs. GPL In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 30 Jun 2003 13:44:29 PDT." From: Valdis.Kletnieks@vt.edu References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; boundary="==_Exmh_-397196322P"; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 17:25:14 -0400 Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1959 Lines: 54 --==_Exmh_-397196322P Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 13:44:29 PDT, Andre Hedrick said: > > Now you are being silly, and I have to stop because your lack of > seriousness. > > You can not talk about what you see or hear. > > What is not clear? It's a general rule that clauses in a contract (which an NDA is) are null and unenforcable if they compel you to do something illegal. In addition, clauses can be held unenforcable if they are "unconscionable", i.e. if they compel you to do something totally out of line and unreasonable. This is why almost all contracts have a separability clause. "Thou shalt not tell the ingredients of the secret sauce" is enforcable. "Thou shalt not tell others that the secret sauce contains high levels of dangerous carcinogens" is unconscionable. Also, note that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act provides a lot of protection for whistleblowers: http://www.workindex.com/editorial/expert/expview.asp on top of the usual legal havens. On Mon, 30 Jun 2003 16:55:56 -0400, "Trever L. Adams" said: > I have also had to sign contracts that require I do not disclose > anything I learn on the job, except to law enforcement personnel. > Andre's situation may be like this. Sure, he can report it, but he > can't talk about it to anyone else! See? That's my point exactly - you *weren't* prohibited from reporting illegal activity. --==_Exmh_-397196322P Content-Type: application/pgp-signature -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Exmh version 2.5 07/13/2001 iD8DBQE/AKq5cC3lWbTT17ARApXUAKCFLaNvS1IabT9B62WR3sSnfKYn0ACgqWf4 5axf/oINbP03iNLbd0Az2hc= =R3wk -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --==_Exmh_-397196322P-- - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/