GitHub lets staff own IP developed for personal projects using company resources

Re:GitHub lets staff own IP developed for personal projects ... by dnautics on Tuesday March 21, 2017 @03:52PM (#13925578)

I wouldn't ascribe malice. Most companies usually do it because the it's the safest way to avoid a legal fight. The more detailed and convoluted the contract becomes the more expensive and time-consuming it becomes to adjudicate. How do you decide whether a 'side-project' is related or unrelated to the work? It's easy to point out obvious cases. (E.g. "I'm a coder and I design a mini golf course for my buddy") but the reason why a company institutes these rules is not to take possession of your IP in these cases.

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Re:GitHub lets staff own IP developed for personal projects ... by Fomite on Tuesday March 21, 2017 @04:32PM (#13925958)

While that in and of itself is problematic, the real objection in the post you're replying to is the "I don't know that I want to hire someone who does creative things outside of work". That's well beyond being defensive in your contract structure.

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Re:GitHub lets staff own IP developed for personal projects ... by sophacles on Tuesday March 21, 2017 @06:27PM (#13926863)

I've always seen this simply handled by disclosure:

* At hire time provide a list of "my ip" and "ip from previous employer that may be controversial here"

* At personal project start time, get a document signed from management saying "this is not related to $employer, and does not count as related work"

* At exit time (particularly when there is post employment IP or non-compete) get a document agreeing that "this IP was from the employee to the company, this was not.

It sounds like a bureaucratic mess, but it's like 10 minutes of hassle here and there, and saves a bunch of issue, even in the future if say, the company gets bought out and the new owner has different views.

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Re:GitHub lets staff own IP developed for personal projects ... by vacri on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @03:04AM (#13928982)

How expensive and time-consuming is it to get all the way through the hiring process, just to have every developer with a clue say "fuck this, I'm not signing"?

The actions described by the GP are not the culmination of deep legal rumination on the topic.

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