What RiderOfGiraffes said so far is what I also know about the subject. To summarize: - Worked produced while employed as a programmer belongs to the employer.

What RiderOfGiraffes said so far is what I also know about the subject. To summarize: - Worked produced while employed as a programmer belongs to the employer. "Signature from a painting" doesn't apply: they have not only ownership but authorship, too. You have two ways to beat this, and both depend on the specific law where you worked and the specific employment contract you signed: - First, whether you were hired as a programmer or not. This could be a big deal, but you need to dig into the text of the law or talk to a (specialized) lawyer. - Second, whether work done outside official working hours is yours or theirs. It could be either way, but it's definitely written somewhere (law and/or contract). You're not the first to stumble on this issue, but unfortunately here you'll find mostly hackers, less lawyers. When you look for a lawyer though make sure he knows about IP and employment law.