GaryS
Member
Interestingly I recently read another forma on this exact subject who owns software after it’s development.
I don’t remember exactly where so I can’t post a link.
My take away from it I this
If you are a paid employee hourly or salaried then your employer owns all the software you develop while you are working for them. If you are a contractor developing software for a specific purpose then you own the software with a license granted for its use by your client for the one time. Now you are free to reuse the software as you see fit or to grant your client as many licenses as you want or to sell then or anybody else additional licenses as you wish. You may also at any time reuse the software or any part of it as you want no restrictions.
Of course if you have a contract with your client then it should spell out the terms for use and copy rights.
I know I have developed code that has been copied and reused many times by other without consulting me. I as I think most of us, just assumed that if we contracted to developed software the end product belonged to the client paying for it and they could copy it and reuse it as they wanted. But I always reserved the right to reuse my own code. Now I will have to rethink that and maybe issue a license for each copy. I know before I do anything either way I want to consult a lawyer.
As for a client modifying your code after you turn it over to them it’s going to happen. But as all of us should know you touch it you own it. The trick is proving that it’s been modified if something bad happens. I know I have refused to do jobs if the client wanted something that I felt was unsafe. I would rather lose a job and client then have somebody get hurt on something I built or programmed.
I don’t remember exactly where so I can’t post a link.
My take away from it I this
If you are a paid employee hourly or salaried then your employer owns all the software you develop while you are working for them. If you are a contractor developing software for a specific purpose then you own the software with a license granted for its use by your client for the one time. Now you are free to reuse the software as you see fit or to grant your client as many licenses as you want or to sell then or anybody else additional licenses as you wish. You may also at any time reuse the software or any part of it as you want no restrictions.
Of course if you have a contract with your client then it should spell out the terms for use and copy rights.
I know I have developed code that has been copied and reused many times by other without consulting me. I as I think most of us, just assumed that if we contracted to developed software the end product belonged to the client paying for it and they could copy it and reuse it as they wanted. But I always reserved the right to reuse my own code. Now I will have to rethink that and maybe issue a license for each copy. I know before I do anything either way I want to consult a lawyer.
As for a client modifying your code after you turn it over to them it’s going to happen. But as all of us should know you touch it you own it. The trick is proving that it’s been modified if something bad happens. I know I have refused to do jobs if the client wanted something that I felt was unsafe. I would rather lose a job and client then have somebody get hurt on something I built or programmed.