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Countering IP Agreements?
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."
Do what I do. Get someone else to scribble something in the signature part and wherever your name has to be printed. To top it off, have someone else put it in interoffice mail or just drop it on a desk so you have no ties to the "signed" document.
Or type your own document and format it to look the same. Except for the title and the first sentence or two, just make it legal-sounding gibberish. Then sign that.
If it's like our company, the HR person won't even look at it, it'll just go in your file, and you'll get a checkmark for that task.
The last time we had a round of that at work, about 1/3rd of us refused to sign and they never pursued it.
1) Bonzi Buddy -- ask them if I can install it on their systems so they can see the beautiful masterpiece they may never own.
2) The source code and image content of the goatse.cx domain. Again, show them the works so they may approve that they don't require access to this intellectual property.
3) The flash video of the guy singing Dragostea Din Tei. Showing this is up to you.
4) The phrase "Any combination of ASCII or UNICODE symbols manually or automatically entered via a standard or non-standard input device and stored electronically or otherwise prior to March 19, 2005."
Seriously though? I would just stay away. Anyone "entrepeneurish" enough to ask to own your prior work will be "entrepeneurish" enough to hire a lawyer that costs $2X to find loopholes in the document your lawyer charged $X to prepare in order to protect you.
Much better than a draconian IP policy.
Advice: on VPS providers
'Malice's Turning Undead toolkit'.
... Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"
I'm suprised they didn't take you up on the offer. Tools like that would be invaluable in both HR and Sales.
HR Person: "Hello, we received your resume. Could you come in for an interview?
Job Applicant: "Mnnnnnnngggghhhh!"
"Can of worms? The can is open... the worms are everywhere."