DQ1.
Daniel was employed as a technician in the engineering department of Luther Technologies. All the engineers on staff were required to sign agreements that they would not accept employment with another company in the industry within three years of leaving Luther. Technicians, who had limited access to company secrets, were not required to sign such agreements. After working at Luther for about two years, Daniel realized that he was deeply involved in development and had access to the same data as the engineers did. Daniel actively sought a position with Luther’s primary competitor and was hired by Wakatoshi Corporation. Because he did not have an engineering degree, he assumed that he had been hired because of his knowledge of Luther’s trade secrets. Did Daniel violate legal or ethical dictates?
DQ2.
Chloe, who was 17 years old, purchased a used boat, agreeing to pay for it in monthly installments over a two-year period. During the next six months, she made 6 of the 24 payments she had agreed to make. The day before she celebrated her 18th birthday, she made the 7th payment. One month later, instead of making the regularly scheduled payment, she attempted to disaffirm the contract, claiming that she was a minor when she made the contract. (Chloe lived in a state where the age of majority is 18.) Is this a contract for necessaries? At what point did the contract become ratified, if it did at all? Is it likely that Chloe will be successful in her attempt to disaffirm the contract?
