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Properly Contributing to Open Source While on Company Time?

Posted by Cliff on from the avoiding-the-SCOrn-of-your-superiors-isn't-a-WASTE-of-time dept.

egeorge asks: "I was wondering what kind of paperwork/policies developers have at their jobs concerning contribution to open source projects. I develop software at a company that derives almost its entire revenue from software. Some software is licensed to customers, some is run internally in a service model, but the software is our whole business. We have recently been doing more and more modification and customization of open source products, and we would love to give some of this back. As developers, though, some of us are a little hesitant to just start flinging code that technically still belongs to the company out into the world. We want to make sure we get clarification about what is or is not covered by our NDAs. So, what kind of procedures do other developers have to go through to get adequate coverage for Open Source submissions? I would like to suggest a policy to my superiors, and could use a few good suggestions."

6 of 400 comments (clear)

  1. Re:My thoughts? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Offtopic. I think this guy's is dead ON topic. Bill Gates (AKA "The Architect") is one of the greatest programmers of our time.

    Anyone that doubts that can go to hell!

    Long live Microsoft!

  2. IN SOVIET AMERIKA... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Patriot Act widens John Ashcroft!

  3. Simple logic by tomstdenis · · Score: -1, Troll

    Ask *specific* permission first. If denied don't work on it at work. If you're smart you'd only ask if there is an angle the company can take advantage of. Make sure you have some ppt slides with graphs pointing upwards.

    Are /. readers really this fucking stupid?

    Duh, mr.boss guy can you pay me to give out free programs that our company can't make money off?

    Tom

    --
    Someday, I'll have a real sig.
  4. Re:Justin Frankel by Zathrus · · Score: 0, Troll

    I think Justin Frankel would tell you that you can't ever be sure that you have any creative control over what you are doing on company time.

    And I think the vast majority of people would say "duh".

    It's on company time, of course you don't have control over it. They do. If you work on it outside of working hours, not using company resources, that's another matter. But check your contract first.

  5. Re:Government Copyrights in Canada by willtsmith · · Score: -1, Troll

    Boy that sucks.

    Geez, I could understand your Copyrights belonging to PARLIMENT, but the Queen!!!!!! Don't they own enough stuff all ready.

    Seriously brits, it's time to dump those psuedo-sovereigns and get a constitution. You might even find the Irish a little less hostile if Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland all had a degree of formal constitutional sovereignty in a British Republic :-)

    --
    -------- -------- Support Wesley Clark for president!!!
  6. what do you mean? mdfyn GPL and never giving back? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    We have recently been doing more and more modification and customization of open source products, and we would love to give some of this back....

    what do you mean dude? u been modifying GPL shit and never gave back to the community?

    you and your sick company shall burn in eternal hell.

    what a sick way to make profit out of the work of the many enthusiastic coders and idealists who want to push this world and society further.

    and you come along, rip public shit, use it for your own commercial sickshit and never contribute.

    get the fuck lost.