Copyright assignment (was: Re: [Fsfe-uk] Are GPL projects more likely to evolve faster ?)

[Robin Green]

On Fri, Feb 06, 2004 at 07:48:26PM +0000, Martin WHEELER wrote:
> > Part of the reaso is also that by explicitly assigning copyright you
> > must establish that you owned the copyright in the first place, which if
> > people are in paid employment may not be the case.
> 
> Ahem.  Correction.  You own the copyright in any work you produce,
> whether in paid employment or not.  You also own the copyright to any
> work produced by you for your employer, *unless* you have specifically
> signed away your rights to any such work (and this must be in writing).
> If you have NOT signed away your rights in this way (usually via
> contract of employment), then copyright is automatically owned.
> 
> I have a colleague who took IBM to court, and WON, over this very issue.

Good for him. That's not what I've heard, though. Maybe it's different
in different countries/states.

My advice: check with a lawyer first - don't rely on an anecdote on a
mailing list for something so important! ;)
-- 
Robin

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