Red means love, yellow-friendship

[MrBishop]

Looks like there weren't any roses present, so that would make accidental discovery difficult.

The discovery was that it turned the bacterium blue. Also...the process that they patented.

Perhaps it's just badly written, but I see no mention of any company, do you?

I don't think that individuals did this kind of research. For the kind of equipment required for cancer research, you're talking some serious coin. Either they're part of a company or they are the company...the latter is not as likely.

Do I really have to remind you that my biggest client is a pharmacy chain, and I'm on very good terms with any number of pharmacists? Any 18 year old can get a prescription for Viagra from any doctor, with no more difficulty than a woman for the Pill. And there's no criteria for restricting it to people with dysfunctional equipment.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the price of eggs.

Half right. The company wouldn't. But the researchers would, do and did. Surely you're not blind enough to suggest that the head researchers on a team quitting to go colour flowers isn't going to set back the original work by years, if not to day one.

If they're part of a company...and their discovery was on company time and/or company equipment..then the discovery is theirs (the company). If the scientist leaves...s/he will have to wait for quite a while before profiting from his/her research. First of all...the company would patent it...and even if they didn't, the employee would have to wait xyears before using anything discovered there for his own (or another company's) profit. It's how companies protect themselves from scientists switching teams.

As an example of this kind of protectionism... when I worked for Insight (a pissante little B2B sales shop...I had to sign a paper that said that I couldn't use my client list for 2 years after I left the company, wether I'd been fired or quit. All my clients stayed there...with new reps.

So..they'd be leaving for no reason. I agree that them leaving would set back the research...but they'd have all the results and methodology with them (Company)...so it'd be a matter of getting replacement scientists and continuing with the work.

 

[Professur]

*shakes head fondly*

Ah Bish, you'll never change.


First and formost, since the discovery that that enzyme turned bacteria blue was in no way connected to what it did to roses ... they could and apparently did keep that titbit to themselves. And the equipment needed for cancer research wasn't needed for transforming roses. A venture capital loan would probably suffice for them to set up their own shop.

And as for non-competition and industrial secrets clauses in their contract ... well, unless blue roses contract cancer, there isn't one. They're out of the cancer research business. Oh, BTW, didya know that, realistically, you can refuse to sign documents like that? I did. Or you can insist on a reduction in the time allotted.


And, (just a last bit), about their methodology... are you stoned? Noone ever writes down everything. Comp techs working in the same shop don't even tell their cronies all their secrets. Only a complete moron would. And even if they did, there's still all the little bits that they didn't even think about. Example: when I dismantle a laptop, I've a method of keeping track of each and every tiny little screw. Were I to list the steps in dismantling a laptop, that information wouldn't appear. Mostly because I don't even think about it when i do it. I'm sure that those labrats could say the same.