I have code that I've written for my current company that I'd like to open up to the world. The only problem is that my company has a clause that says that anything I write belongs to them. Now that they've decided to abandon my code for some other product that replaces it's function, I'd like to continue working on my project as well as open it up to the world, since I still deem it worthy and useful.
The easy part is cleaning it up and posting it on SourceForge and Freshmeat. The hard part is making sure that I am free of any legal implications in the future. I've looked online to try to find a legal document I can use to present to my employer to get them to sign off on it, but I'm not having any luck.
Has anyone else been in this boat or can refer me to some legal documentation that may help out?
Thanks,
Anonymous Coder"
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I've been in this position before, many times. The short answer is that they own it. They probably won't give it to you for nothing, and they won't know how to sell it.
I know, it won't help this time. But next time, there is a very easy solution. Knowing you will soon use it at work, first develop it as free software, and commit it Sourceforge or wherever. Now that it's 100% free under LGPL (to avoid company complaining about viral GPL) pull it into your project codebase. If you feel paranoid, dissociate your real name from the Sourceforge user name.
Unfortunately.. (Score:1)
Easy solution (Score:1)
I know, it won't help this time. But next time, there is a very easy solution. Knowing you will soon use it at work, first develop it as free software, and commit it Sourceforge or wherever. Now that it's 100% free under LGPL (to avoid company complaining about viral GPL) pull it into your project codebase. If you feel paranoid, dissociate your real name from the Sourceforge user name.