Licensing own code to employer
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My employer is wanting to use a fairly large system I have developed away from work as a personal project. I am quite happy for it to be used without charge whilst I am still working for them as it will make my life infinitely easier, but if I were ever to leave I would expect some kind of payment for it and ongoing support/maintainance/update & expansion charges. They have no issue with this, but I need to get some documentation for them and me to sign, for their protection and mine. Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn) -
My employer is wanting to use a fairly large system I have developed away from work as a personal project. I am quite happy for it to be used without charge whilst I am still working for them as it will make my life infinitely easier, but if I were ever to leave I would expect some kind of payment for it and ongoing support/maintainance/update & expansion charges. They have no issue with this, but I need to get some documentation for them and me to sign, for their protection and mine. Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)MS or Apple EULA ;p
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MS or Apple EULA ;p
The "I own everything even though you've paid for it, but as I'm a really really nice guy I'll let you use it for a limited time, maybe" license?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn) -
My employer is wanting to use a fairly large system I have developed away from work as a personal project. I am quite happy for it to be used without charge whilst I am still working for them as it will make my life infinitely easier, but if I were ever to leave I would expect some kind of payment for it and ongoing support/maintainance/update & expansion charges. They have no issue with this, but I need to get some documentation for them and me to sign, for their protection and mine. Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)DaveyM69 wrote:
Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
No, and even if I did, I would still say (loudly) "get yourself a lawyer". If you do this yourself and then sometime down the line the situation between you and your employer changes (your boss leaves, you fall out with his boss, ...) they could quite easily give you the bird over this. How much do you think it would cost to recover your intellectual property?
Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman
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The "I own everything even though you've paid for it, but as I'm a really really nice guy I'll let you use it for a limited time, maybe" license?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)DaveyM69 wrote:
The "I own everything even though you've paid for it, but as I'm a really really nice guy I'll let you use it for a limited time, maybe**...and don't expect it to work.**" license?
FTFY!
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
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DaveyM69 wrote:
Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
No, and even if I did, I would still say (loudly) "get yourself a lawyer". If you do this yourself and then sometime down the line the situation between you and your employer changes (your boss leaves, you fall out with his boss, ...) they could quite easily give you the bird over this. How much do you think it would cost to recover your intellectual property?
Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman
The boss I'm talking about it the MD/Owner of the company (it's a UK private Limited company) so he's not going anywhere anytime soon. The lawyer makes sense, but to get this drawn up from scratch by a lawyer may cost more than I stand to make out of this - the levels of cash involved have yet to be discussed, we have agreed on the principals of any license only so far. So long as I don't take the piss, he won't mind paying what is fair. A lawyer to tighten up any propsed agreement pre signing is a good idea. Of course I could get screwed over, and I'm willing to take that risk, but he is a fair guy. We just need something in writing so it is on a business footing rather than a gentlemans agreement, not so much a premise on which I would sue him if it got nasty.
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn) -
DaveyM69 wrote:
The "I own everything even though you've paid for it, but as I'm a really really nice guy I'll let you use it for a limited time, maybe**...and don't expect it to work.**" license?
FTFY!
Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water
:laugh: Mine, however, works! ;)
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn) -
The boss I'm talking about it the MD/Owner of the company (it's a UK private Limited company) so he's not going anywhere anytime soon. The lawyer makes sense, but to get this drawn up from scratch by a lawyer may cost more than I stand to make out of this - the levels of cash involved have yet to be discussed, we have agreed on the principals of any license only so far. So long as I don't take the piss, he won't mind paying what is fair. A lawyer to tighten up any propsed agreement pre signing is a good idea. Of course I could get screwed over, and I'm willing to take that risk, but he is a fair guy. We just need something in writing so it is on a business footing rather than a gentlemans agreement, not so much a premise on which I would sue him if it got nasty.
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)The advice is good. If you don't take it you are in the realm of blue sky. In that case you would be much better off with a one off payment up front with an agreement for support.
Peter Wasser Art is making something out of nothing and selling it. Frank Zappa
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The boss I'm talking about it the MD/Owner of the company (it's a UK private Limited company) so he's not going anywhere anytime soon. The lawyer makes sense, but to get this drawn up from scratch by a lawyer may cost more than I stand to make out of this - the levels of cash involved have yet to be discussed, we have agreed on the principals of any license only so far. So long as I don't take the piss, he won't mind paying what is fair. A lawyer to tighten up any propsed agreement pre signing is a good idea. Of course I could get screwed over, and I'm willing to take that risk, but he is a fair guy. We just need something in writing so it is on a business footing rather than a gentlemans agreement, not so much a premise on which I would sue him if it got nasty.
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)My opinion was based on a situation that a friend of mine found himself in some years ago, which cost him some serious money. At the end of the day it is entirely your decision what to do, and if you are happy with whatever agreement you reach, then go for it.
Unrequited desire is character building. OriginalGriff I'm sitting here giving you a standing ovation - Len Goodman
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My employer is wanting to use a fairly large system I have developed away from work as a personal project. I am quite happy for it to be used without charge whilst I am still working for them as it will make my life infinitely easier, but if I were ever to leave I would expect some kind of payment for it and ongoing support/maintainance/update & expansion charges. They have no issue with this, but I need to get some documentation for them and me to sign, for their protection and mine. Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn) -
My employer is wanting to use a fairly large system I have developed away from work as a personal project. I am quite happy for it to be used without charge whilst I am still working for them as it will make my life infinitely easier, but if I were ever to leave I would expect some kind of payment for it and ongoing support/maintainance/update & expansion charges. They have no issue with this, but I need to get some documentation for them and me to sign, for their protection and mine. Do you know of any existing licenses that would cover this?
Dave
Binging is like googling, it just feels dirtier. Please take your VB.NET out of our nice case sensitive forum. Astonish us. Be exceptional. (Pete O'Hanlon)
BTW, in software, hope and pray is not a viable strategy. (Luc Pattyn)You are too nice! If the system adds value to the organization, then you should get compensated. Protect yourself with a EULA and agree to a free trial period. Use that time to work out any kinks. Once the trial period is up, you both should have an idea of the value of the system, what your resulting compensation should be, and whether you require legal expertise. As a bonus, you get your system user tested for free!
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
