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New Job & Intellectual Property

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nend:
Ok, I am happy I found a job in this drought but however now after reading the policies I am concern about my intellectual properties. The company has a policy that any software, inventions, blah blah that you design while employed for so and so company are property of that company. This isn't word for word but basically what it says.

I am lost if this means anything I do in my free time or does it mean the whole time I am employed there. If it means while I am employed there how about existing software I have designed. Most software so far is for use for myself or if released to the public under a open source license. I do have a few things released under a different license, not sure since it is collaborative work mainly for the Android OS or Android Apps. Plus a few games that I don't remember ever putting a license on.

So what should I do if this is what they mean? Don't let them know anything about anything I do in my free time?

ChalkCat:
That sounds like a pretty standard clause to me and I, a non-programmer, have signed similar.  I imagine though that the answer to your question is very much in the wording of the clause.  I should think that it only includes work you do within your contracted hours to that company, but will extend to any work you do for their customers, using their resources, etc, etc.  I don't see that they can make a claim on anything you do completely in your own time without poaching anything from the company, and certainly not any work you already completely before joining the company.  However, check the exact wording used and if you have any doubts, you're better consulting a specialist lawyer.

Arantor:
It is an absolutely standard clause, I was subject to that same wording in my previous employer's employ.

You probably should clarify it with them, but as a general rule it does mean as Sabrinova intimates: work you do in the line of your regular employ is their intellectual property.

Joshua Dickerson:
It isn't a simple answer. Depends on the laws of your government and the exact wording of the clause. It is standard, but how it is enforced isn't.

For instance, where and when you create new work is a big thing. For a developer, if you use a company computer and company time, it is very likely to be theirs no matter if you sign the clause or not. Along with that, you can have a shared copyright. I took an IP class at work regarding this and a couple of people I know have quit their jobs over this.

Simple advice: don't do anything close to what you do at work outside of it without written approval that it will be YOURS. If you have further questions, consult an IP attorney (or do some searching as there is a lot on the internet about this subject)

nend:
I am not using their time or computers so I don't think that is an issue. I can understand both sides though and how if an employee developed something for a company later on he can say he did it in his spare time and the company be out of luck. So I am guessing as long as I don't mix work with stuff I do off from work I should be ok.

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