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Did you ever have trouble with keeping apart intellectual property created for your employer vs. for yourself on your own time? For example, did you use differe
by justusw 11y ago
Did you ever have trouble with keeping apart intellectual property created for your employer vs. for yourself on your own time? For example, did you use different computers and made sure to never do this at your work place? I'm always worried that this might become a problem if you create apps while still being employed somewhere.
- allsystemsgo 11y agoI use my own machine. That and you have to keep in mind a few things. Does the company actually have the money to spend to go after a developer who made some simple app? Would doing so piss off their entire engineering department? Is it really worth it to them? Usually the answer is no. Not that any of the above matters since I do this on my own time, with my own resources.
- SyneRyder 11y agoIf you work for Apple (and I think the same for Google, Facebook or Microsoft), don't they own your output even if it's on your own machine in your own time? I seem to remember part of their contract is that they own all your intellectual output. Some other discussion of this here: http://iphonedevsdk.com/forum/business-legal-app-store/47704-apple-retail-employees-shut-from-developing.html http://iphonedevsdk.com/forum/business-legal-app-store/47704... https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/1phmkr/current_employer_owns_all_software_i_develop/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gamedev/comments/1phmkr/current_emp... On the other hand, in Queensland at least, it depends on the definition of your work role. If it's specific enough, you could even create a game using your employers equipment & keep ownership & copyright yourself (the Queensland government provides that as a specific software example here): https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/support-tools-grants/tools/intellectual-property-info-kit/browse/employees-contractors/ownership https://www.business.qld.gov.au/business/support-tools-grant...
- steve-howard 11y agoI work at Microsoft. I don't speak for the company but feel like sharing my experience. We do have to comply with certain restrictions (e.g. don't do it on company time, company property, company equipment; don't compete with the company), and I'd definitely read the full legalese before trying to make a paid app. But it's not anywhere near as bad as "everything you write while you work here is ours."
- jimbokun 11y agoAre you sure? It might be that bad, if they become motivated enough to go after you in court.
- zerohp 11y agoApple does not claim ownership of your output that is done on your own time, with your own resources, as long as it doesn't relate to work you're doing at Apple. I recently signed an employment agreement with them. It was the most fair one that I've ever signed.
- jlarocco 11y agoI've never had a problem with that, and it's pretty straight forward IMO. Work computers stay at work. My computers stay at home (or at least not at work). If I create something outside of work, not using proprietary data/algorithms/whatever from work, and using my own computers, then it's mine. I'd never work somewhere that tried to claim ownership of work I did outside of work. Needless to say, common sense applies, and it's probably not a good idea to have a side project that competes with your employer (even indirectly), helps their competition, or makes them look bad somehow.
- craigvn 11y agoYes, I think it is common sense. If you quit your job and launch a competing product the next day you are asking for trouble.