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Owning Your Own IP at a Company?

Posted by Cliff on from the wouldn't-you-love-to-see-this-at-your-place-of-work dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "I work as Sys Admin for a sporting company, and I'm the only 'Computer Guy' there. Recently I've been doing a lot of work writing code for their webpage and other related areas, and since I was up for contract renewal I raised the question of Intellectual Property. Now, in the contract there is a section which says that computer records/lists and such belong to the company (ie player registrations and other semi-sensitive data), but beyond that my manager was quite happy for me to own the code that I've written. Neither of us is very good with writing contracts, so he said 'Draft a document and get back to me'. Now what sort of stuff should I put in it?" This is a situation many of us may hopefully find ourselves in. For those of you who have been through this before, how did you end up structuring your contacts? Please note, when it comes to contracts, nothing beats seeking professional legal advice. "I want it to express that there is an amicable agreement between us, that I own my code (including miscellany like shell scripts) and that they can keep using my code, in the normal fashion, after I've left the company. Is there anyone else who's in a similar situation? How did you write your contracts?"

16 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. So naturally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please note, when it comes to contracts, nothing beats seeking professional legal advice.

    So naturally, it gets posted here.

    1. Re:So naturally... by aussie_a · · Score: 2, Funny

      IANAL but I agree, nothing beats professional advice. Although YMMV.

    2. Re:So naturally... by kpwoodr · · Score: 2, Funny

      meh...try working in the Defense industry...Not only does my company own my code, they own my soul.

      --
      This sig has been removed pending an investigation.
    3. Re:So naturally... by xappax · · Score: 2, Funny

      There's a whole lot of meanings for the word "own"

      Indeed. For example, in Soviet Russia, code owns YOU!

  2. Keeps me comin' back by quokkapox · · Score: 5, Funny
    You know, despite all the frequent dupes and microsoft mashing here, there's one thing that keeps me coming back again and again.

    I don't know WHAT i would do if it weren't for all the quality, personalized legal advice you can get FOR FREE, just by reading slashdot.

    --
    it's a blue bright blue Saturday hey hey
  3. Am I the only one... by Evro · · Score: 2, Funny

    Am I the only one who thought this was going to be about some guy who wanted to own his own IP address?

    --
    rooooar
  4. legalese by ThoughtWorker · · Score: 2, Funny

    "All your code is belong to me."

  5. AYB by dcapel · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sample Draft:

            Narrator: In A.D. 2005, contract was beginning.

            Boss: What happen ?
            Flunky: Somebody set up us the contract experation.

            Flunky2: We get contract.
            Boss: What !
            Flunky2: Main screen turn on.
            Boss: It's you !!
            You: How are you gentlemen !!
            You: All my IP are belong to us.
            You: You are on the way to signing.
            Boss: What you say !!
            You: You have no chance to back out make your time.
            You: Ha Ha Ha Ha ....

            Flunky2: Boss !!
            Boss: Take off every 'Lawyer'!!
            Flunky2: You know what you doing.
            Boss: Move 'IP'.
            Boss: For great justice.

    --
    DYWYPI?
  6. Here's what you do .... by telstar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Take a normal contract ... and put a "NOT!" after each sentence that sounds like it's somehow restricting your rights. Then, at the very end, put "etc. etc. etc.".

  7. What I would do by Stanistani · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would have a meeting with the boss, the legal staff, and the primary stakeholders.
    I would bring to the table a small portable grill, some marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers.
    Then, when everyone was enjoying their s'mores, I would suggest linking hands and singing "Kumbaya."

    --
    You can't talk about Wikipedia's flaws on Wikipedia
  8. Re:Sort Your job title by VAXcat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Two jobs ago, my boss told me to get my company business cards ordered. I asked him "What title should I put on 'em?" He said "I don't care, whatever you want." I picked "Master of the Devices". He wasn't amused.

    --
    There is no God, and Dirac is his prophet.
  9. you probably already own by jp_fielding · · Score: 2, Funny

    given a situation at my current company from a while back, where a consultant came in to write some code, clear ownership was not established up front, and when we found a more profitable use for the code, he demanded more money, claiming he wound enforce his copyright to stop us. our lawyer agreed with him. we paid him to do work, and we still didn't own it because we didn't have a clear writing that said we owned copyright of all his work for us. i'm guessing that since you've not signed anything like that, you're in the same boat.

  10. Easy: a beer will do by AtomicBomb · · Score: 2, Funny

    Owning an IP in a company is not at all a problem. Procedure:

    1. locate your sys admin
    2. bribe him with beer/ whiskey/ chocolate fish
    3. have your MAC address ready
    4. your own static IP
    5. ....
    6. profit

    Oh, we are talking about another type of IP here :p
    Forget step 1,3,4,5,6 then.

  11. Re:I second this! by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Funny

    Besides the lawyer: put it into the agreement what you are supposed to do!
    As a sysadmin I ended up doing "under the belt" jobs many times that did not fit my qualification and was not in my contract.

    Talk about not in your contract!

    What's under the belt, stays under the belt. All my clients keep their pants on, or I leave the room.

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  12. Re:Can't say what I'd put in a contract, but... by Jim_Callahan · · Score: 3, Funny

    1789

    --
    ...it's really a sad day for America when we require a goddamn ACT OF CONGRESS to make our DVD players work properly. ~
  13. Re:You may NOT want to hire a lawyer. by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 2, Funny
    No, but at least the spelling would be correct.
    hopefully
    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park