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How to protect Intellectual Property from new employer (midwest.social)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by MNByChoice@midwest.social to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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Pretty sure I will be asking a lawyer, but I want to learn more words and concepts first.

A possible new job wants to own any intellectual property I create and wants me to declare anything I want to keep as my own. This seems normal in my industry as they will be paying me to do some thinking.

Issue is that I have a number of ideas I have been developing. I am going to float some of them as products in my own time, though this may be years from now. Most of these are outside the current market for the company as far as I know.

How is this typically handled? I presume I don't need to have copyrights or trademarks prior and can just list tentative titles.

I am also a little unclear on the spread between "intellectual property" and "an idea I am playing with".

Thoughts? Concepts to investigate?

Edit: I did Internet search this, but I have not found working keywords.

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[–] GluWu@lemm.ee 35 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I've tried to get several companies hr to explicitly say but have never gotten a clear answer. Like the other person said, if it's on company time with company resources it's theirs. If it's yours it's yours. Until it isn't. I just keep to myself, nobody needs to know what I'm working on besides myself or anyone I trust who I'm working with. The only reason you should even disclose any of these thing you might be working on is if there's already something they can take, not just an idea. Ideas can be stored securely in your brain until you need them.

[–] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 9 points 8 months ago

I just keep to myself, nobody needs to know what I'm working on besides myself

And for OP, this includes Lemmy

[–] MNByChoice@midwest.social 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't think keeping it quite will work for me. I am going to start companies on a few of them.

[–] GluWu@lemm.ee 3 points 8 months ago

You need to form llcs for any of them before you're employed, then have a lawyer revise your employment contract to reflect the protections needed to retain those companies IP that you create during your employment.

Speaking from experience, employers want someone who will sell them their entire life. Good luck.