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.

  • slappy@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    4 months ago

    Talk to a lawyer, get everything you’ve already thought up documented with dates.

    Read the contract carefully and don’t allow them to claim perpetual licenses to anything you’ve already come up with.

    • MNByChoiceOP
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      4 months ago

      I think you are right. I am working on writing things and developing them now in the hopes of having some details for the lawyer to write up.