Here's an interesting development...

To follow up on the legal situation I find myself in; as the company I was hired by is incubating a future spin-off project that will in fact be a software company; I sought professional legal advice to find out how much of my 'cheeze was hanging out in the wind...'

Well - you all might find this interesting - it would seem that the reason why they have you sign all of that documentation when you are hired is to 'protect them from you.'

I have been informed that in my particular situation, where I have already signed non-competition agreements with a retail company, and due to the wording of same, it is up the The Company to chase Me down to protect themselves. I am legally unbound beyond the realm of standard ethical conduct.

I look at that as Good News. What it is saying is that, at least in MY legal environment (New York, USA) your rights are indeed rights until such time as you agree to sign them away consciously.

Now, all that being said I'm going to shut up & hope that no one in management here reads this node.