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I'm a googler, I've got side projects, most of them are open-source. While I'd prefer not to think about all this and just code, I appreciate that there is an

I'm a googler, I've got side projects, most of them are open-source. While I'd prefer not to think about all this and just code, I appreciate that there is an existing policy instead of a bad surprise in a few years. The current policy, which is 100% public (https://opensource.google/docs/iarc/ https://opensource.google/docs/iarc/), is basically "let's assume that we own everything except what we don't, and let's figure things out before it's too late". If you contribute to an existing open-source project on github, this is basically a non-issue and the answer to who owns the copyright has practically no effect. There are pre-approved licenses and a few banned licenses (agpl, wtfpl, public domain, etc), as well as pre-approved CLAs with major entities (Python, Mozilla, etc). I think this matters in two cases: 1/ you want to start a new open-source project, you don't want google to have copyright because you think that a good open-source license will not protect you/your work from being stolen (!). 2/ you want to start a side project and maybe one day you'll turn that into a business, and you don't want to be Pied Piper vs Hooli.

repsilat 7y ago
Also a googler. > because you think that a good open-source license will not protect you/your work from being stolen (!). My reason for wanting to keep copyright is that I want to be allowed to work on my code under the same name after I leave the company. I'd happily trade away that option if I were being paid to work on it, but if it's my hobby, and if (in my view, if not IARC's) it isn't related to my work or Google's business, I won't.
- martius 7y ago
  I agree, but I think it's (mostly) not an issue. IIRC we're asked to use our corp email for contributions, unless we already have contributions under your own name/email address on the project. I read this as: * if you interacted with people on mailing list with your personal email address, it's OK to use your personal email address in the patches. * if you are the maintainer of a project, use your own address (unless this is a google project, of course). edit: don't get me wrong though, I don't like this clause, I just think it only matters in rare cases.
mikelward 7y ago
There's some open source projects Google won't let me contribute to because they don't like the project's CLA.
- crazysim 7y ago
  Is there a public list of these and do these projects know?

repsilat 7y ago

Also a googler. > because you think that a good open-source license will not protect you/your work from being stolen (!). My reason for wanting to keep copyright is that I want to be allowed to work on my code under the same name after I leave the company. I'd happily trade away that option if I were being paid to work on it, but if it's my hobby, and if (in my view, if not IARC's) it isn't related to my work or Google's business, I won't.

martius 7y ago
I agree, but I think it's (mostly) not an issue. IIRC we're asked to use our corp email for contributions, unless we already have contributions under your own name/email address on the project. I read this as: * if you interacted with people on mailing list with your personal email address, it's OK to use your personal email address in the patches. * if you are the maintainer of a project, use your own address (unless this is a google project, of course). edit: don't get me wrong though, I don't like this clause, I just think it only matters in rare cases.

mikelward 7y ago

There's some open source projects Google won't let me contribute to because they don't like the project's CLA.

crazysim 7y ago
Is there a public list of these and do these projects know?