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Hopefully there is a Googler reading who can answer this: I'm curious why the README.md says > Note: This is not an official Google product. However the copyr
by mixonic 11y ago
Hopefully there is a Googler reading who can answer this: I'm curious why the README.md says
> Note: This is not an official Google product.
However the copyright is Google, and you must sign their CLA. That seems pretty official to me? Or is there some other implication to "official" beyond ownership?
- dekhn 11y agoIt works like this. Google has an "open source office". When you open source code at Google, it's either a product, or it isn't. Even if it's not a product (which has its own extra set of launch procedures), it's possible to open source it. It's still a Google-owned thing, but not a "product". Google ownership does not necessarily mean it's a product, but it still requires the copyright stamp and the CLA. If it's easier, just drop the word "official". It's not a Google product- IE, a saleable or free service that google provides to customers- but rather just a thing Google put out in the world, subject to the rules that Google applies.
- yegle 11y agoThis is a project whose author is a Googler thus Google has the copyright and all the CLA stuff. However Google is not directly involved in the project, in the sense of having employees solely work on the project and have an OKR on this project, or roadmap whatsoever. Think about this: someone work for Google wrote a software and Google is kind enough to open source it. Disclaimer: I work for Google but my interpretation could be wrong.
- brunoqc 11y agoDoes Google also own code that you write in your spare time at home?
- batbomb 11y agoUsually (close to) universal answer is something like is: "If you've used any employing entity resources, even incidentally, your employing entity owns it, especially if the project is directly related to the business" Some places will attempt to assert more ownership and some will not.
- rixed 11y agoThey pretend to, as would many companies if asked. I don't know how that would hold in court though. They also, for instance, pretend it's illegal to discuss your salary while the opposite seams to be true, so...
- wereHamster 11y agoThat is because Google claims copyright on everything you create while you work there, even if you create it in your garage in your free time. You baked some cookies for your daughters birthday party? Sorry, can't distribute them for free, consumers of those must sign a CLA (Consumer License Agreement) and Google retains copyright on your recipe.
- kuschku 11y agoQuestion: Does this also apply to Google employees at Google Hamburg, and, if yes, how far? Because, as far as I know, German law directly prohibits such contracts.
- schwa571 11y agoI can't answer your question, because I don't know the answer. However, I would recommend against relying on wereHamster's apparent mis-information... unless Google's policies are different in the jurisdiction that wereHamster is familiar with, in which case I apologize.
- kuschku 11y agoI think wereHamster’s text was satire, but the idea was repeated by many others: Anything related to your job you do is owned by Google. You can’t contribute to ejabberd when you work on Hangouts.
- wereHamster 11y agoWhat does it tell us if people don't recognise that as satire? Is it so close to reality to think that Google could claim rights on our cookie recipes? And if you really have to ask if such a clause applies to you, you haven't properly read your contract and/or you don't know your rights. People, please educate yourselves, don't let large corporations, even if they claim not to be evil, violate your rights.
- 11y ago