[jiggs26.2]

Just curious to everyone's thoughts on this.  I am not really a big fan of Sam Adams to begin with and have only had one beer by anchor it is was...OK.  I just don't think now is the time for smaller breweries to be fighting with each other.  I get a big impression that micro brews generally try and help each other out and I think that is awesome.

Beer Brawl: Sam Adams sues Anchor Brewing over noncompete
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2011/09/27/boston-beer-sues-rival-over-employee.html

And an extra from BrewDog:
Boston Beer Company v Anchor Brewing Company
http://www.brewdog.com/blog-article/boston-beer-company-v-anchor-brewing-company

[ukolowiczd]

I guess I question the definition of "micro-brewery" these days and if breweries like Sam Adams and Anchor don't fit this definition anymore. I think the number is less than 30,000 barrels per year? Not sure where these companies fit in even if they fall under this number. Sam Adams beers all taste the same to me. Most craft/micro breweries here in VT usually get along and like you said help each other out, plus they keep making interesting and unique beers. Again I'm rather biased too b/c I don't really like Sam Adams or Anchor beer.

[corkybstewart]

I run 3 small business, one of them is manufacturing a very technical electronic device.  Those 3 employees have non-compete clauses that will be strictly enforced if necessary, but the employees of the other 2 businesses are generally free to come and go even though they also have signed the non compete clause.   It all depends on the nature of the job being done.  I can't afford to have technical details about our instrument get out, and I can see why Jim Koch had to take this action.  The employee had detailed (and very current) info about marketing and sales strategies.  This wouldn't prevent him from working for Anchor, it just means he can't work in the beer marketing division.  It is essentially industrial espionage.

[beersk]

I think it was a dickhead thing for that guy to do.  Get hired, taught all of the essentials of the beer business, then take off to a different brewery.  Why didn't he just stay there for a while?  While I think he should be entitled to do/work wherever he wants, he shouldn't have left so soon after being trained what he was.