FAANG/big tech companies operate under the same IP and employment laws as every other company. The laws in the US tend to favor the employer, and of course any

FAANG/big tech companies operate under the same IP and employment laws as every other company. The laws in the US tend to favor the employer, and of course any large tech company will have vastly more legal resources available than a typical employee. Whether a company will negotiate different IP agreements would depend on the employee and the situation. Some people will have better negotiating positions than others. As you pointed out with more colorful language, just asking about negotiating possible IP ownership sends a message to the employer, which they may interpret differently depending on the employee (or candidate) and the situation. I have done this before, quite a few times, with legal advice as I suggested already. How hard I would push on the issue depends on the situation and how much I want the gig. I don't think anyone can give a probability of what you might experience. You may get some anecdotes, but your question is like asking "Do FAANGs pay for business class travel?" That would depend a lot on the person traveling, the occasion, and other situational variables that make an average or probability meaningless. In general all employers who produce valuable intellectual property -- which includes all of the FAANG companies -- will almost certainly take a "we own everything you create" approach. Signing an agreement granting all IP rights to the employer usually happens before employment starts. If you already own IP you will want to list that and add the list to your contract so it's clear that your prior IP is excluded from the employment arrangement. I prefer not licking boots and brown-nosing, as you put it, so I freelance. I still have to consider IP ownership implications, but the relationship is more clear as a freelancer and customers generally don't expect to own any IP beyond what they specifically contracted and paid for. If you came here to pick a fight with your new anonymous account, fine, but I'm opting out. Stay anonymous with posts like this. Your attitude and language won't do you any favors at big tech companies.