Copyrighting your code!?!!??!

[oraclesmith]

It's mine all mine ! My lawyer wrote the contract. Ha, ha, ha, ha !!!

[AtW]

No, and I would never sign such a thing.

oh, so your contract does not say that the development work you do belogs to the client? I find it hard to believe! If nothing is said who owns the IP you create, then by default it will be client since it was done on the client's site and they paid for it.

This pretty much means that you can be seriosly screwed to the point of being terminated if they find out that you poisoned their own IP with your own libraries. Talk to a lawyer.

[Cowboy Bob]

oh, so your contract does not say that the development work you do belogs to the client? I find it hard to believe! If nothing is said who owns the IP you create, then by default it will be client since it was done on the client's site and they paid for it.

This pretty much means that you can be seriosly screwed to the point of being terminated if they find out that you poisoned their own IP with your own libraries. Talk to a lawyer.

Don't be ridiculous!!! Of course it says that code I write in persuit of the individual contract belongs to them. What it doesn't say is that any code I write during the time period of the contract belongs to them. If it did, I wouldn't be able to work for any other clients at the same time. Neither would any consultancy business.

[AtW]

You are missing the point - it is entirely possible they would never agree to taint their product with any 3rd party license, especially if it is you who licensing them stuff.

They will assume your library that you used was written or at least modified during the time whilst they paid you, which makes it a tricky situation for you - it will be you who will have to prove you did not write a line of code in your library whilst at work.

If they find out and you do not have permission in writing that you could do it, then in my unqualified opinion you will be shafted.

[DimPrawn]

Stop talking bollox. All of you.

AtW you don't know the contract terms.

The others, you need to clarify your contract position regarding 3rd party libraries (whether you are the author or not is irrelevant).

HTH.

Now, this thread is boring so I won't be looking at it again.

[Cowboy Bob]

You are missing the point - it is entirely possible they would never agree to taint their product with any 3rd party license, especially if it is you who licensing them stuff.

In the Java world I have never come across a client that doesn't use Apache licensed libraries. Hell, even IBM WebSphere uses them internally meaning the client implicitly uses them.

If I saw no evidence of 3rd party library usage then I would be more cautious.

it will be you who will have to prove you did not write a line of code in your library whilst at work.

That's easy, the CVS timestamps are there for everyone to see over at SourceForge.

[AtW]

whether you are the author or not is irrelevant

It is highly relevant because it creates conflict of interest, in fact it raises question whether person who was paid to do the job, actually spend paid for time working on his own library that is not owned by the client.

If it was 3rd party then this important question would walk away because no incentive, but if its your name then it is you who will be on defensive - it looks suspicious immediately, and the client will easily say that the code belongs to them.

If you do not have permission to use 3rd party library in writing then you expose yourself big time, especially if it is your library that was used because in this case not only you can lose contract money, but also ownership of your own work.