Absolutely false: http://startupweekend.org/about/firsttimer/ "Startup Weekend doesn’t support or take part in the signing of any legal documents"
Startup Weekend would be a lot better if it required all participants to sign waivers releasing all IP generated over the weekend. That way everyone knows exactly what they are getting into.
If you really think a weekend of coding is worth something then why would you go now? It allows complete strangers to join your team and pollute the IP ownership.
10 percent of the effort is worth 10 percent of the equity, no matter how few days that effort is provided.
>> If you really think a weekend of coding is worth something then why would you go now? It allows complete strangers to join your team and pollute the IP ownership.
Strangers yes. But they self selected into groups.
At the end of the weekend, the code is owned by someone. If there's someone interested in it, the author should be as well.
I would agree that one should not have high expectations going to such and event, but one should expect not to be exploited, and if something does emerge that has legs one should be entitled to his share - and if fact (s)he is entitled to it by law unless someone cons them out of it. Copyright goes to the author.
And just to clarify - if everyone on your team signed away their rights then you would still be free to take your code and do whatever you want with it. You could build the business on your own if you didn't like any of the other teammates.
In situations like this it's very clear that whatever you make, you own.