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Countering IP Agreements?

Posted by Cliff on from the rights-to-your-own-thoughts dept.

Ghettoimp asks: "I'm a grad student considering an offer for a summer internship with a large software company. The offer is appealing but has a horrible IP agreement which gives them the rights to work I create while I'm there, *and* rights to work I've created in the past. I proposed a counter-agreement but it seems quite clear that the terms are non-negotiable, and I have little reason to believe that this situation is different anywhere else that would be interested in hiring me (e.g., defense contractors, research labs). The agreement does let me list explicit items to exclude from this, and gives me space for four items. I am thinking about instead attaching a list of every program I have ever worked on at all. I know this won't give me any control over what I work on while I'm there, but could this be a viable strategy for keeping ownership of the programs I have already written? I just want to know that I will be able to use, distribute, and talk about my own work in the future without worrying about some ridiculous lawsuit."

5 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Just say no by IO+ERROR · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    Er, open source people should not be working for Microsoft, as a general rule.

    That sort of agreement is way overboard, and might not even be legal. Definitely refuse it. If they don't agree to your changes, walk. There are plenty of other jobs.

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    How am I supposed to fit a pithy, relevant quote into 120 characters?
  2. Re:Lawyer lawyer lawyer by keesh · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Because a lot of us don't like giving money to the crooks who make paying extortion money necessary in the first place.

  3. Re:Lawyer lawyer lawyer by King+Fuckstain · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Well, a lot of us have made friends in life who work in a variety of fields because we're not social outcasts and, therefore, can just ask our friends who are lawyers to take a look at the document in exchange for running Windows update for them.

    But you go ahead and rage on and call lawyers crooks. Perhaps after your 16th birthday you'll start the long trek towards maturity and arrive there sometime by your 40th birthday.

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    Update For for the dupe. Not going well. Appreciate all the hate mail. Really encourages improvement.
  4. Re:Lawyer lawyer lawyer by GeckoX · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    We bow down before you, oh great King Fuckstain!

    Your ways are just and correct.
    There is no other way.

    You obviously see through our lame existences to the core of who we really are.

    Praise and glory, oh great King Fuckstain!

    --
    No Comment.
  5. Re:Reasoning by magefile · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Yeah, and I bet you have a girlfriend, too, right? C'mon, we all know that they don't give the bar exam in your mom's basement.