Fortunately, non-compete agreements are not your only option for protecting your proprietary technology or innovative techniques. This is because “trade secrets” are protected forever under California law.
A trade secret is any piece of information not generally known to the public from which you derive independent economic value and which you have taken reasonable precautions to keep hidden.
As a business owner, you can prohibit others, including former employees, from using a trade secret to compete unfairly with you. This includes using a trade secret to solicit clients, vendors, and employees.
If they do, you can file a claim against the employee or company in question for injunctive relief to stop them and request damages in court.
That said, these protections come at a cost; there are requirements in both your contracts and the law that you will have to meet as well.