I've had companies try to take my OSS projects. It seems that the smaller the company, the greater the likelihood that they'll try (you can get some real dicks

I've had companies try to take my OSS projects. It seems that the smaller the company, the greater the likelihood that they'll try (you can get some real dicks who go on power trips in small companies, whereas larger companies tend to have a bureaucracy tempered by good lawyers and usually cooler heads). The first rule is: Go to a lawyer and discuss such matters with them. Consultations are cheap. Often you can get clauses you don't like stricken from the contract (I do this all the time, and as a bonus it helps filter out companies that will become a problem in future). The second rule is: If they refuse to negotiate on the points you don't like, consider working somewhere else.