Re: Need programers

From: Graham McDermott <graham@bankieboy.demon.co.uk>

Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 22:38:06 +0000

In message <na.630b874b3b.a80310ketil@argonet.co.uk>, Kevin Cowley
<ketil@argonet.co.uk> writes
>In article <ach88s$317$1@nova.blacksun.org.uk>, Paul Walker
><usenet@blacksun.org.uk> wrote:
>> Plus there's the additional problem that if they're already working for
>> companies, the IP clauses in their contracts might make things awkward at
>> a
>> later stage if they're just doing this for a hobby - some companies try to
>> claim rights on everything an employee does, even if it's in their own
>> time.
>>
>They can try and make the claim but they'd lose. They only have the right to
>claim IP on work specifically paid for by them unless they can explicitly
>demonstrate IP infringement. If I write a piece of code for one company and
>then 2 weeks later write a similar piece of code for a second company there
>is no IP breach because they can't claim IP rights to what's in my head.
>There was a court ruling on this a few years ago but I can't remember
>whether the case was a US or UK one.

Funny, my memory is of the exact opposite. ISTR a case about two years
ago where someone left a company and about 6 months later tried to file
a patent, which their previous employer contested was their IP and they
won the case forcing the guy to divulge the information.

I cant find a URL yet, but I'll have a look over the next few days.

It might have been in an area that the company had employed him, so
perhaps isnt directly relevant to the discussion, but whats relevant in
terms of a programmers job? I mean I've been sent on UML and OO courses,
COBOL, C & C++ courses, Scripting courses, project management courses,
communications protocol courses. All paid for by various employers, if I
then use that knowledge to come up with something new they may say that
this was due to their dollar....Dont know - never tried it - is my
answer and anything I do out of work is rarely distributed anyway (plus
the last thing I want to do after a day in design and coding of software
is design and code software 8)  )

--
GMcD.

References

Re: Need programers
Ryan Johnson <dowrie@guildofblades.com>
Tue, 21 May 2002 06:43:20 +0000
Re: Need programers
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Tue, 21 May 2002 09:33:53 +0000
Re: Need programers
Kevin Cowley <ketil@argonet.co.uk>
Thu, 23 May 2002 09:33:04 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Need programers
Ryan Johnson <dowrie@guildofblades.com>
Tue, 21 May 2002 06:43:20 +0000
Re: Need programers
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Tue, 21 May 2002 09:33:53 +0000
Re: Need programers
Kevin Cowley <ketil@argonet.co.uk>
Thu, 23 May 2002 09:33:04 +0000