[pm-h] Contributions to Perl modules

[G. Wade Johnson]

On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 09:40:53 -0700 (PDT)
"Michael R. Davis" <mrdvt92 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Perl Folks,
> > I got into a conversation about contributing to Perl modules.
>  
> Before you contribute something to CPAN, please ensure that "YOU" own
> the copyright.  Most employers actually own the copyright on
> "anything" you write based on the documentation that you signed when
> you were hired. Hey you wanted the job. right?  My company's
> agreement is that anything that I write on my time on my own computer
> is my copyright, otherwise it's theirs. Drag out those intellectual
> property agreements! For you Federal Employees post away.  Anything
> you Feds write on your time is yours.  Anything you "work" on during
> your "core" hours is typically public domain (FOUO and classified are
> exceptions).  So, it's best to upload a stub to CPAN at night under
> your copyright then down load that stub and add public domain content
> to it during the public dollar time. Thanks, Mike
> http://search.cpan.org/~mrdvt/

That's a really good point, Michael. Check your agreements carefully.
I've been told at companies before that everything I touch belongs to
them (didn't stay there long).

Many companies have reasonable agreement based on the concept that you
have to practice to get better at anything. It would probably be better
to practice at home than to practice on the production code.<grin/>

Even if the company owns the copyright, some companies are willing to
release non-core-business code as open source if they understand the
benefits to the company of doing so.

G. Wade
-- 
I've been living on the edge too long, where the winds of limbo roar.
                      -- "Veteran of Psychic Wars", Blue Oyster Cult