Forum Moderators: phranque
Does Company A have the right to ask me to remove this information from my website? Given I did the design, do I have the right to claim credit for the work I did as long as I mention the company that I was on salary for at the time? Please let me know what the issues are here, possibly posting links to any relevant legal info online that can help, thanks.
Welcome to the forums!!
I'm not sure what the legal standpoint is but looking at it from a business perspective there are a whole bunch of people who have been doing the rounds and dining out on historical work they have done, sometimes the claims are artifically inflated but a good employer/prospect should be able to smoke out anyone not completely telling the truth.
I've been in that scenario you mention a few times before. What I did was asked for some written testimonial to say you were part of XYZ project team and did ABC and were a fantastic part of the team (I typed it they signed it), those letters go in what I call a "brag file" and if I really want the business I may get out one of the letters, but to be honest if you can't do what they want you to do then you shouldn't be saying you can (that's not aimed at you by the way, just a general stand). If you are not up to the task, you will get canned and tarnish big time your reputation.
I'd put it down if you did the work, I wouldn't worry about the legality of it (unless you signed some confidentiality agreement or something)
Hope that helps.
Put up the annotated link on your site, and if they tell you to remove it, de-link the URL and leave it as a text citation. If you worked for them, I can see how they could tell you you can't mention it on your resume... unless you signed a really draconian non-disclosure agreement.
The concern I would have is from Company A. If you worked with them closely during the development, I'm sure you established rapport. I would think a signed document of some sort from them would cover your bases.
P.S. Hopefully you did not sign a no compete contract with your previous employer?
(edited by: pageoneresults at 1:59 am (utc) on Mar. 9, 2002)
I lost a great set of code because of my oversight. Anything that you do at Company A, on Comapy A's time and equipment is Company A's. As a matter of fact, anything you learn at Company A is theirs too. So if you learned how to do this design and now you are starting a competing business, they have a pretty good case to haul you to court (not to say they would win). Of course they will wait till you are making decent money.
Get a lawyer - it's worth the $500 to $1,000 now then quarter of a million down the road...
The company owns the work. have a chat to company A and ask if you can have a trademark to the work or a link denoting that it was your work on their site, its very tricky situation, but assuming that you are on relatively good terms, talking to the company will not hurt.
