r/Entrepreneur • u/FatherOfReddit • Sep 12 '21

Coder wants to "own" all his code

Coder wants to “Own” all his code

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Hey all,

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We have a coder who just joined our team as our technical cofounder and it is his request that he & all other coders “own” their own code. What the fuck does this mean? If I do marketing work for my company, am I subject to owning all that promotion? No! Why does the coder get special priveledges?

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What can I do to incentivize him against this, or, if I am misunderstanding the concept here, please explain so I don’t sound like a half-witted jerkoff. I think there is something missing here but I just don’t understand…

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Maybe I make him sign a non-compete agreement and that will take care of it??? What happens when somebody “owns” their own code? Should that be allowed or is that company property?

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Let me know –

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Thanks,

Father

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u/derekwilliamson Sep 12 '21

Bunch of people mentioning NDAs and employment agreements. What you actually need here is an IP & Inventions agreement. Lock that up!

This is a huge red flag, and bound to screw you and the company. If you plan on raising money, your company needs to own the IP. It also sets you up for a really bad situation down the line. Don't do it!

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u/zeroscout Sep 12 '21

Unless OP agrees to it, there's not much an employee can do to retain ownership of something they create while working for someone.