I've worked for some companies that had draconian IP assignment contracts. The worst was General Motors. It basically said that if I invented anything that they

I've worked for some companies that had draconian IP assignment contracts. The worst was General Motors. It basically said that if I invented anything that they might possibly use in business, then it belonged to them. This was back when they made locomotives and kitchen appliances as well as cars. They had their fingers in almost every possible industry. Part of my response was to keep potentially profitable ideas inside my head until after I left to work somewhere else. Even today, I hesitate to do any hobby that an employer might want to confiscate. Fortunately, most places I've worked since GM are only interested in stuff related to the business that they do. If you program on the side, they see that as you are keeping up with new technology and training yourself - which is a very good thing. Almost every interview I'm in has some form of the question "how do you keep up to date?" I'm always older than the interviewers and they really want to know how to keep up with stuff. It is hard. I posted this link yesterday in a thread about "work for hire" and intellectual property assignment contracts: https://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=153046 https://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=153046