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.

  • MNByChoiceOP
    1·
    10 months ago

    I’ve had billion dollar companies screw me out of 300$ (a lot of money for me at the time, haha) for no reason except that they could.

    I can confirm, I used to work for one. When the budget got tight, all contracts would be paid on the due date and never before (net90 will get paid on the 90 day.) Orders that arrived on the dock would be sent back. And it was too everyone, not a judgement of who could sue or who was also a customer.

    I fully encourage large deposits and payment terms that you want.

    Great advice. Thank you!!