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"don't use your employer's computer off-hours when working on your own projects" California law protects individual side projects extremely well. I am not a la

"don't use your employer's computer off-hours when working on your own projects" California law protects individual side projects extremely well. I am not a lawyer, I could be wrong, but I believe these concerns are absolutely irrelevant in California. Relevant elsewhere, but not here.

jayp 14y ago
even in california, it is highly recommended that one not use work-provided resources for your side projects if you have even the smallest intentions of commercialising them.
fizx 14y ago
2870. (a) Any provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee shall assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention to his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities ... "without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities"
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- ktizo 14y ago
  Doesn't count. AOL was not his employer.
mbreese 14y ago
It's your employer's computer. Even in California you cannot use your employers resources for side projects and still be protected. They can't make a claim on your free time, but if you use their computer, you open yourself up to claims. I'm not a lawyer either, but that was always the advice I've been given. Now this kid was just dumb. By using AOL resources without permission he now has all sorts of potential issues. Probably the only thing that kept him out of jail was the good will of AOL.
- rexreed 14y ago
  Only if you have an employment contract. Simply using someone else's network or power or resources or air conditioning or free beer or shower doesn't grant the owner of that resource any claim to your intellectual property. They can only make a claim for expenses, damages, loss of revenues, etc. that can be directly traced from illicit use of those resources.

jayp 14y ago

even in california, it is highly recommended that one not use work-provided resources for your side projects if you have even the smallest intentions of commercialising them.

fizx 14y ago

2870. (a) Any provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee shall assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention to his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities ... "without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities"

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
ktizo 14y ago
Doesn't count. AOL was not his employer.

mbreese 14y ago

It's your employer's computer. Even in California you cannot use your employers resources for side projects and still be protected. They can't make a claim on your free time, but if you use their computer, you open yourself up to claims. I'm not a lawyer either, but that was always the advice I've been given. Now this kid was just dumb. By using AOL resources without permission he now has all sorts of potential issues. Probably the only thing that kept him out of jail was the good will of AOL.

rexreed 14y ago
Only if you have an employment contract. Simply using someone else's network or power or resources or air conditioning or free beer or shower doesn't grant the owner of that resource any claim to your intellectual property. They can only make a claim for expenses, damages, loss of revenues, etc. that can be directly traced from illicit use of those resources.