Intellectual Property

From: Dave <david_at_c-cat.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 93 17:01:45 EDT
Message-ID: <m0RBBc1w165w_at_c-cat.UUCP>

Sine this is the programming oriented newsgroup I read most, And someday will be an Oracle Database Application Developer, I would like to inquire out here as to other companies intellectual property rights.

The new code in my company's user manual now states that it simply owns all my intellectual creations of mine from start of employment until 6 monthes after employment is terminated. any activities of software creation having to do with the company's business is theirs, whether it is done on company or personal time. there is a ton more lawyer talk included. The essence is there.

        You being a programmer, how do you protect the right of software you create ? I feel that any code I write is my personal intellectual property I own it, it is of my creation, (I consider it an art form). Basically the new code means that if and when I change employer I would not be able to bring any code to my new job, any procedures, functions, macros, code belongs to my employer and I have no right to it. I would basically have to recode alot of previous work.

        My company is allowing an addenda to the form, I want to state simply that all intellectual creation of code is my personal property and that I grant my company exclusive right to sell, distribute, or use in any fashion they require free of charge as long as the property retained is mine.

        Another large point I want to make is that I work for a government contractor, if the u.s. government pays my company $10,000,000 to create a database application, isn't the ownership of the code inherently property of the u.s. government , therefore my company should have no rights to it ?

        What I am looking for is creative ideas as to how I can protect the "art" I create. If your company employes a unique tactic to allow individuals to retain their "intellectual property" rights, I would like to hear about it.

                thanks much for your input.  

-David Ristau

c-cat!david_at_sed.csc.com                                China Cat BBS 
c-cat!david_at_uunet.uu.net                                              
...uunet!mimsy!anagld!c-cat!david                      (301)604-5976

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