Re: http://www.hjrdba.com/

Sean M <smckeownNO_at_BACKSIESearthlink.net> wrote:
>Oracle employee. Could he have produced those same writings had he not
>been employed by Oracle? Maybe, but that's a tough one to prove. So
>yes, Oracle owns what he's produced, as well they should.

I'm not sure I agree with the "as well they should". My employer makes billing software, clearly I should ensure I don't accidently write a billing system in my spare time. However, I don't think my employer owns *everything* I think about in my spare time, even if it is peripherally connected with the business. We don't know the details of HJR's case, so I can't comment directly on that.

I negotiated a modification to the IPR clause on my employment contract before I signed it, clarifying what I could do in my own time. Since IPR is about half the software business, it's important to sort out where you stand with your employer (and occasionally wear a GNU t-shirt into work :-).

Commiserations to Howard though, it must be very annoying to have your employer suppress something you've put so much time and effort into.

-- 
Andrew Mobbs - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~andrewm/