Catalinbread vs former employees

Jota

This looks bad for everyone involved...

https://pt.scribd.com/document/391311374/Catalinbread-LLC-vs-Gee-et-al

Branshen

Yes. This looks like it is going to be very ugly. I am mildly amused by the Defendants renaming their Slack Channel (whatever that is) to Catalindead. Would be interested to see the Defendants' defence.

MattBanshee

Branshen said:

Yes. This looks like it is going to be very ugly. I am mildly amused by the Defendants renaming their Slack Channel (whatever that is) to Catalindead. Would be interested to see the Defendants' defence.

Slack is a business-centric forum style app. Very very similar to Discord if you've ever used that.

Funkfingers

I can already hear the prices for used Catalinbread pedals going up.

fields5069

I'm on Slack, can I get a free pedal or what?

fields5069

I like that they have to explain what breadboards are.

heavyrocker

What a bunch of idiots. How did they think they were going to get away with that?

not_the_dj

fields5069 said:

I like that they have to explain what breadboards are.

But not 'Secret Sauce'

fields5069

It is pretty stupid though. The correct course of action would have been to resign first I guess, to establish a competing brand, but perhaps there was a moratorium clause in their contracts or something.

DannyP

Maybe the defendants could develop a new Roto pedal powered by Nicholas Harris spinning in his grave.

MattBanshee

fields5069 said:

It is pretty stupid though. The correct course of action would have been to resign first I guess, to establish a competing brand, but perhaps there was a moratorium clause in their contracts or something.

Yeah, most employment contracts prevent you from stealing anything of value and burning the rest upon resigning from a company.

fields5069

MattBanshee said:

fields5069 said:

It is pretty stupid though. The correct course of action would have been to resign first I guess, to establish a competing brand, but perhaps there was a moratorium clause in their contracts or something.

Yeah, most employment contracts prevent you from stealing anything of value and burning the rest upon resigning from a company.

I was thinking more along the lines of them not being allowed to set up a competing brand within 6 months or a year of leaving.

MattBanshee

fields5069 said:

MattBanshee said:

fields5069 said:

It is pretty stupid though. The correct course of action would have been to resign first I guess, to establish a competing brand, but perhaps there was a moratorium clause in their contracts or something.

Yeah, most employment contracts prevent you from stealing anything of value and burning the rest upon resigning from a company.

I was thinking more along the lines of them not being allowed to set up a competing brand within 6 months or a year of leaving.

I don't think that was the sticking point; they didn't want to just start up a competitor. They originally wanted the original Catalinbread company on the cheap, then when that didn't happen, they wanted to start a rival but without paying or working for it, using CB's assets and designs. 

fields5069

Yes, understood that. What I mean is that the correct course of action would have been to resign, wait, and then start a new company, but what to do for six months or a year?

Jota

They said they went to NAMM working for the new company when they were actually there promoting two new pedals for Catalinbread!

One of them was a big project that I don't belive they would let Catalinbread take if they were really planning on moving...

steer

Devious behavior at the best of times, but even worse considering the fact that the founder of the company died only shortly before this all started. 

Musicman20

steer said:

Devious behavior at the best of times, but even worse considering the fact that the founder of the company died only shortly before this all started. 

Aye, morally it makes me very uncomfortable. Some people just don't care though, do they...which is a shame. 

raulduke

I wouldn't read that document as anywhere near true tale events. I would imagine the Plaintiff's lawyers will have done whatever they can to cast the defendants in a very bad light, and gain favour/sympathy for the Plaintiff.

Two sides and all that...

It's all quite sad really. The whole thing has become a shit show.

It was Catalinbread's enthusiasm and early innovative designs (e.g the all JFET DLS MKI) that first got me into pedals.

UnclePsychosis

From everything I've read online about Catalinbread before and after the founder died I find it hard to believe that its the former employees who are in the wrong. Nic's mother inherited Catalinbread basically by default and appears to have made an absolute arse of the whole thing.

The legalese that's been released so far is always going to make one party look awful, its kind of the point. I'll wait and see what the defense is before I get my pitchfork out.

Jez6345789

All rather sad as much as I am not a pedal guy at all I have liked a lot of the things they have made. 


When I read this stuff I always think what managed to get these people to the sort of point where they want to kill Catalinbread that's not just greed there would seem to have been a number of things or changes that his mum made to disgruntle what seemed to be a very talented team in her newly found role as CEO. 

Probably introduced a dress code and asked Howard to cut his hair. 

I am sure the lawyers will part them all from their cash and they will reach a settlement. 

the only winners here will be the lawyers. 

Sporky

Jez6345789 said:

the only winners here will be the lawyers. 

I'm not sure that's quite true.

There are plenty of people who enjoy an opportunity to up their blood pressure getting outraged over one side of a story that doesn't actually affect them. They'll win big on this one.