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0 points_odey4y ago0 comments

That's not how I see it, the important part being "which relate to, or are reasonably capable of being used in, the business".

This part was missing from my old contracts.

As far as I understand it, this clause does not force you to even disclose projects you have that are completely unrelated to the company's business. Key word "business" here, not "company".

Example: your personal blog is not related to the fact that your employer develops and sells databases. So whatever code you write to develop/manage your blog won't be a "invention" the company needs to know about and own. This is in contrast to a contract that states "whether during our normal hours of business or otherwise, or at the premises or using our facilities or otherwise, for the whole term" like I used to have. Here the word business does not even refer to the company activity, but to the 9-6 schedule.

0 points_odey4y ago0 comments

That's not how I see it, the important part being "which relate to, or are reasonably capable of being used in, the business".

This part was missing from my old contracts.

As far as I understand it, this clause does not force you to even disclose projects you have that are completely unrelated to the company's business. Key word "business" here, not "company".

0 comments

5 comments · 3 top-level

seanwilson4y ago· 1 in thread

> That's not how I see it, the important part being "which relate to, or are reasonably capable of being used in, the business".

> Example: your personal blog is not related to the fact that your employer develops and sells databases.

Couldn't this be interpreted very broadly though? Like if you write your own web server, programming language, optimisation tool, build tool, CMS, CRM etc. they could likely find a use for these within their business.

_odeyOP4y ago

True, reason why you don't stop at just the employment contract. You should also disclose existing projects to them and have them sign that your work outside of hours/facilities does not upset them.

yawnxyz4y ago· 1 in thread

if the company later on decides to get into the blogging space and create something like Substack, doesn't this mean they will retroactively lay claim to your work?

Or does it only apply to the "business" at that time, not for future business?

_odeyOP4y ago

It does not apply retroactively.

_odeyOP4y ago

But I do understand ptx's confusion in this thread.

After reading through all the tweets and replies, especially this one https://twitter.com/_strlght/status/1467460142279143428 where @arkivanov replies they have the same clause in their contract, this one being 19.4, my belief is that there are other clauses besides this one (19.4.1.. or 19.5 onwards) that place even more restrictions.

I think we need to see the entire section 19 to be able to judge.

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