-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Armin Marth wrote: > Hello SLUGers, > I work on the help desk for a medical software company, and have > recently been given a disclosure and confidentiality agreement to > sign. I have been keeping a keen eye on open source software for > medical professionals and would like to eventually contribute to them. > > The point I'd like to clarify is clause 2. "The Employee shall > acknowledge all inventions, discoveries and designs and all writings, > art-work, drawings, designs, computer programs (copyright works) > created during the course of your employment with the Employer, > belongs to the Employer." > > See a copy at http://www.arminmarth.info/disclosure.pdf > > Would this stop me from contributing to open source software if it's > in the same field as I currently work in? > > I've been asked to sign this by Monday or I will not be able to work > on any health care related products, i.e. they'll force me to take > leave.
Find a lawyer :). If you don't have one already, I believe there are a number of lawyers in Sydney specialising in open source already, and I'm sure this is a question that they have been asked before. Its a question for lawyers, because while the law looks like english, its not :(. "course of your employment" could mean '9-5 weekdays', or 'from the time you sign till you are fired', or something else. (IANAL). And that is, perhaps - the key point. - -Rob -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkqRARIACgkQ42zgmrPGrq47swCfRfZkaVmMFsEaw2NDqtk8mEQg +ugAoLBCT3A/fPstjNOE7s4wjWFSQIR0 =exhK -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
