Re:Ask HN: How to sell my side project to my current company?
by onion2k on Tuesday July 28, 2015 @02:11AM
(#9959789)
Are there any pitfalls?
The biggest one would be the fact that (depending on the exact wording of your employment contract) your employer may own the IP of any work you do relating to the industry you work in - including what you do at home. By bringing this project to your employers attention you might just end up handing it over to them.
Also, if they're sensible, your employer's due diligence would include asking you for proof that you didn't do any work on this project during your contracted working hours, and that you didn't use any of your employer's IP in it. That will be expensive for you to produce. If you can't proove you didn't work on it during work hours then technically that's fraud, but in reality it'd just mean you'll be handing the project over.
Consult a good lawyer before bringing it to your employer's attention.
The biggest one would be the fact that (depending on the exact wording of your employment contract) your employer may own the IP of any work you do relating to the industry you work in - including what you do at home. By bringing this project to your employers attention you might just end up handing it over to them.
Also, if they're sensible, your employer's due diligence would include asking you for proof that you didn't do any work on this project during your contracted working hours, and that you didn't use any of your employer's IP in it. That will be expensive for you to produce. If you can't proove you didn't work on it during work hours then technically that's fraud, but in reality it'd just mean you'll be handing the project over.
Consult a good lawyer before bringing it to your employer's attention.