[TriLUG] legal question

[Matt Pusateri]

On Wed, March 23, 2005 7:31 am, Marc M said:
> Hello:
>
> I have a 'technical' question that does not involve technology
> specifically, but I am hoping that someone on the list can help me.  I
> have an employment possibility doing Red Hat Enterprise Linux and a
> lot of security stuff.  I really want the job but they are making me
> sign this Stalinist contract to the effect that ANYTHING now or in the
> future (thoughts, concepts, software, plans, processes, RECORDINGS,
> images, etc.) -- is THEIRS.  You wouldn't believe it if I had time to
> type everything.  Basically I am a slave to them from now on.
>
> That's right, anything NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, on the job or off.  So if
> you are configuring/writing/tweaking software all day, one would
> <think> that you would later be liable or subject to just about
> anything they want to claim.  Think about it.   Who doesn't learn and
> grow from one job to another?  Who doesn't apply
> things/practices/habits/processes, from place A to place B?
>
> I beat out every other candidate from multiple agencies with this.  I
> have come a LOOOOONG way in this process with the recruiter and I am
> formulating a letter to the effect of 'I am sorry but I am not signing
> my life away and if it's a dealbreaker so be it'.   I also included
> some HUGE info to show that I am interested in 'educating' these
> recruiter types as to the restrictions they are placing on something
> that is suppossed to be 'open'.   I am beginning to conclude that some
> people and opportunities are not worth fooling with, since they come
> with more headaches than they are worth.
>
> Does anyone know a qualified lawyer in the space of OSS that
> understands contracts, employment, and the GPL for starters?  If
> someone can represent me in this matter I may actually be able to go
> forward and strike through terms and conditions.   And have any of you
> run into similar situations?  What did you do?   Finally let me
> underscore that this goes WAAAY beyond the typical 'trade
> secrets'/proprietary information type verbiage, which I would consider
> normal and reasonable under most circumstances.
>
> Thanks
> Marc


This person posts on the Internetworkers list and is a lawyer who
specializes in internet law.  Whether he can help or not I don't know.

You can also see his website at www.tbeckett.com

thomas at tbeckett.com


Matt