3 ms·

I've signed one once that had a clause where everything I made for a year after the job ended I had to approach them with it and give them a chance to offer me

I've signed one once that had a clause where everything I made for a year after the job ended I had to approach them with it and give them a chance to offer me money for it (right of first refusal), but never anything where they automatically own it post employment. They did have a 'we own pretty much every thought you have while you work here' clause, though, because it was a game studio and the owner's reasoning was you could have inspiration for game ideas for what you're working on pretty much anytime, anywhere...which he's right about, and he was a cool guy and I don't think he'd enforce the clause to actually steal other people's outside projects, but that clause still made me uneasy and I didn't really pursue my personal projects while I worked there much as a result. But what you received is much, much worse.

rgbrenner 9y ago
I never believe excuses like that. They can just as easily write "we own any game ideas you come up with while you work here" instead of "every thought". There's no reason to ask for what you don't need and never intend to enforce. Unless you intend to selectively enforce it, in which case I'll assume you'll select me to do so one day.
- cableshaft 9y ago
  I'm not sure they said every thought specifically, but it included outside of work, and it wasn't limited to games. It was media and web, I think, since they did whatever clients asked them to do, make websites, mobile apps, booths at events, videos, etc. Considering everything I work on personally was somehow web or media related, it felt very draconian to me at the time. But I still worked there and don't regret my time there overall.
davidp 9y ago
> he was a cool guy and I don't think he'd enforce the clause The problem with that kind of trust is that sometimes the person who makes the decision isn't the cool guy. It can be the company's lawyers who decide to make your life hard after termination for whatever reason (reduces your negotiating leverage at least), or someone else entirely if the company is acquired (for example).
- cableshaft 9y ago
  It was a small business and he was very much the one who made decisions, in this particular circumstance. There were other employees who moonlighted a bit while working there and I don't think he ever pursued them. But as I said, despite my comment about him being pretty cool about things, it was enough to make me uncomfortable, and I didn't work on my stuff much, and definitely didn't release anything while working there.
s73v3r_ 9y ago
"I don't think he'd enforce the clause to actually steal other people's outside projects" There is zero reason for him to have that clause unless he wanted to do just that.

rgbrenner 9y ago

I never believe excuses like that. They can just as easily write "we own any game ideas you come up with while you work here" instead of "every thought". There's no reason to ask for what you don't need and never intend to enforce. Unless you intend to selectively enforce it, in which case I'll assume you'll select me to do so one day.

cableshaft 9y ago
I'm not sure they said every thought specifically, but it included outside of work, and it wasn't limited to games. It was media and web, I think, since they did whatever clients asked them to do, make websites, mobile apps, booths at events, videos, etc. Considering everything I work on personally was somehow web or media related, it felt very draconian to me at the time. But I still worked there and don't regret my time there overall.

davidp 9y ago

> he was a cool guy and I don't think he'd enforce the clause The problem with that kind of trust is that sometimes the person who makes the decision isn't the cool guy. It can be the company's lawyers who decide to make your life hard after termination for whatever reason (reduces your negotiating leverage at least), or someone else entirely if the company is acquired (for example).

cableshaft 9y ago
It was a small business and he was very much the one who made decisions, in this particular circumstance. There were other employees who moonlighted a bit while working there and I don't think he ever pursued them. But as I said, despite my comment about him being pretty cool about things, it was enough to make me uncomfortable, and I didn't work on my stuff much, and definitely didn't release anything while working there.

s73v3r_ 9y ago

"I don't think he'd enforce the clause to actually steal other people's outside projects" There is zero reason for him to have that clause unless he wanted to do just that.