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Overly broad IP assignment clauses in employment contracts

🧭 worksocial problemSingle report ●●●●● severity 4/5

A programmer is concerned that an employment contract's IP assignment clause is too broad because it covers any development 'relating to the business of the company,' but the company is so large that the employee cannot know the full scope of products and services.

Who's affected: A software developer at a large corporation.

⚠️ Single report. This is one person's account. We mark it so until more voices confirm it.

What people do today

🔧 Fix this

Ideas a builder, maker or community group could start on:

  1. A standardized 'IP carve-out' template generator that helps employees draft legally sound exclusions for personal projects.
  2. A browser-based tool that analyzes employment contracts to highlight overly broad IP assignment language based on state-specific labor laws.
  3. A marketplace for legal consultation specifically focused on reviewing tech employment contracts for IP and non-compete risks.
I want to build this

Real voices

“I don't know then entire list of products and services being developed, manufactured or sold by the Company”

Source: Stack Exchange (workplace) · CC BY-SA 4.0, user-contributed content from Stack Exchange; summarized and modified

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