In most of the world, and in most of the United States, your thoughts are owned by your employer. If you want to eat, have a roof over your head, raise a family, you almost always sign away the rights to your thoughts.
The exception is California. And that's why Silicon Valley is in Silicon Valley.
Amen! For the last few years I've bleated about this to any one who will listen. A few years ago I moved from academia to industry and I was shocked by how restrictive the employment contracts are (I'm in the UK). I reckon it's also a major contributor to wages being so much lower over here. How can we change it though? I'd love it if we could get legislation introduced similar to that in California. What practical steps could we take?
The exception is California. And that's why Silicon Valley is in Silicon Valley.