Still, Mr. Streeter said winning this case "is going to be an uphill climb for H-P, " since California courts typically frown on agreements that limit employees' ability to switch companies.

WSJ: H-P Sues Hurd After Oracle Appointment

The coming switch from analogue to digital would liberate industries that had been constrained by the limit on the number of cable channels that can be bunged down a pipe, or the handful of broadcast channels that can fit into the airwaves allocated to television.

ECONOMIST: A survey of E-entertainment