| From the link you gave: >> Relate at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention to the employer s business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development of the employer; or First of, this is not same as not competing with your employer. "Relate" here is not well-specified. I was told by a lawyer that if something is in the same trademark category (e.g., software), it can be considered "related". So if your work is in the line of the main business of the employer, you are unlikely to be coming up with anything that is not related. Unless your employer makes software, and your side business is making, ahem, burgers or something. Also from the link: >> Inventions Made by an Employee Note the word "inventions" there. It is unclear if this is taken to mean just the things that are inventions (e.g., patentable ideas), or also works of copyright. In other words, if you work for a software company, you create a software side project for image processing, all the source code you write may still be the property of your employer as that source code is a subject of copyright (even in California), though they may not get any inventions encompassed in that source code. PS: I am not a lawyer, though have read a book or two on this subject. |