How to protect my source code ~~

[Joan]

"Roedy Green" <[email protected]>
wrote in message

This is what I think might be the case:

Boki wrote some code where there dispute over whether it is his
or his
company's. Perhaps he wrote it on their computers in the
evenings. The
company is demanding source. Boki does not want to give it to
them.
Since he is an employee, they have him over a barrel.
There may be a employment contract that settles this.

Another interpretation is that Boki wrote some code on a
contract
basis without a written contract as to what was included. He
figures
by default, the customer is not entitled to source.

When you do contract work you want to be clear if the customer
gets
exclusive rights to the code and whether they get source and
whether
they have rights to resell the code.
--

The government (USA I mean) can tell you if Boki is an employee
or not. They have some
guidelines. It is better if the govt. determines that you are an
employee, because
then he company has to pay taxes for him.

 

[Boki]

Not bad logic analysis.

This is what I think might be the case:

Boki wrote some code where there dispute over whether it is his or his
company's. Perhaps he wrote it on their computers in the evenings. The
company is demanding source. Boki does not want to give it to them.
Since he is an employee, they have him over a barrel.
There may be a employment contract that settles this.

Another interpretation is that Boki wrote some code on a contract
basis without a written contract as to what was included. He figures
by default, the customer is not entitled to source.

When you do contract work you want to be clear if the customer gets
exclusive rights to the code and whether they get source and whether
they have rights to resell the code.

 

[Boki]

You are welcome.

Yes, well, this will be practical good for when you it is the head of a
main company of software. I am certain that you superb will make a work;
I wait that I have the pleasure to work for you when you he is.

 

[Scott Ellsworth]

I think law is just law, in our culture, we always say
morality/friendship/sensibility first, it has adventage and disadvantage...
Finally, I release all my source code:

Thing is, law is also what can put you in jail, or give you large fines.
Thus, even if you do not like the person you are contracting or working
for, always try to give them what you agreed to give them, and make sure
they do the same. I also try to make sure the contract is very clear
about who owns what, and what they can ask of me, so neither one of us
is surprised at the end.

3. My president allow me two extra days off. ( my two days off exchanges the
chance about get a large number of order , seems not very fair ... )

That is the deal, when you work for someone else for a flat rate or
salary. You work for a fee, they work for a percentage. There are
different risk tradeoffs you can get, like getting a cut of the take in
return for a lower salary, but those involve risk on both sides.

How you(all) control/protect/share your code(effort) to make balance ( and
keep good relationship )in this world/company/project/...?

Try to figure out what the client wants long before delivery, try to
deliver reasonable product, accept that some people are never satisfied,
and try to satisfy those who can be. Sound's smarmy, but the world is
small - you _have_ to try and make the customer reasonably happy if you
want them or anyone they know to be a customer again.

A good way to make them happy is to manage expectations on both their
and my part. I usually work Time and Materials, as it minimizes both
our risk under change. (If they want a change that extends the project,
they pay for it. If they feel the project is not progressing fast
enough, they kill it.)

I know other consultants who charge by what the code is worth to the
client. That did not work well for me. Clients get unhappy when
charged a few grand for a couple hours work, even if that couple hours
assumes months of previous work building tools. Thus, for my business,
T&M works well.

I have found that people who consult for manufacturing, rather than
biotech, on the other hand, have a much easier time with flat rates. I
suspect it depends partially on what the client is used to.

Scott

 

[Roedy Green]

I have found that people who consult for manufacturing, rather than
biotech, on the other hand, have a much easier time with flat rates. I
suspect it depends partially on what the client is used to.

For long ongoing tasks that are not clearly defined, you have no
choice but to bill by time. For small tasks, customers usually want
the flat rate because of the budgeting problem. They need to approval
for the amount ahead of time. The trick here to avoid getting burned
is a very clear spec on what the program will and will NOT do. Putting
in the will nots saves all kinds of bad blood. The customer can't
claim surprise or ambiguity. Try to think of any plausible thing the
progam might do, and clearly rule that out. Your ideas of what is
sensible and the customer's can be miles apart.

This means you are an active partner in writing the spec. You don't
want to get roped into endlessly satisfying the customer's whims.

 

[Boki]

Yes, law is the final.
but, I guess, even I win by law, I will lost more ( maybe no other company
would like to hire me, because I will sue them by law maybe.. ),

I like to share with who also like to share, but I don't like to share who
only want to get.

Thanks for great experiance/suggestion sharing, it is very helpful.

Best regards,
Boki.

 

[Boki]

Funny, they can't handle it, they want me keep the development ... : )