I’m an Apple customer but this is straight up wrong. Non-compete clauses this broad are ridiculous and practically stop ex-employees working anywhere they’re actually skilled to work. It quite literally ends someone’s career after their tenure.

If you’re expertise is SoC design and implementation, to be contractually restricted from working anywhere else that does SoC-related business is effectively kicking you out of the very industry and job pool you’re capable of working. Your mobility is totally stifled.

These kinds of restrictive covenants need to be outlawed or at least be limited to a short time frame no more than six months, requiring ex employers to pay the ex employee during this time if made redundant or fired or requiring the incumbent employer to pay the new employee during this time until they’re legally able to work again.

Hopefully this case goes against Apple favour and sets a strong precedent against absurd non compete clauses like this.