

Ask HN: Legalities of developing "worthless" ideas on company time? - Tichy

Does the law agree that ideas are worthless? Suppose while working for a company I have an idea for a great product. I quit and build the product - what does the company own, if anything?<p>What if I made drawings of the idea, or created a business plan before quitting?<p>I mean not actually on "company time" (while on premise between 9 to 5", but say, in the evening. But some companies have these contracts that they own everything you come up with while you work for them.
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apowell
I believe it depends on the terms of your employment and your jurisdiction.
For instance, California specifically forbids employers from claiming
ownership of inventions which are unrelated to the employer's line of business
created by employees outside of company time and without using company
resources: [http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=lab...](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-
bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=02001-03000&file=2870-2872)

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stonemetal
If they own anything you came up with while working for them, then they would
own the drawings\business plan etc. Any future documentation derived from that
original documentation would be a derivative work and there by be infringing.
On the patent side of the fence you would have to have an idea capable of
being patented, the wording of the employment contract would have to cover
that angle as well. Having those two in place means they very well could come
after you for the idea.

