[autarch]

My experience has generally been that large corporations don't really have any wiggle room here. The contract is created by a legal team that is totally separate from the division hiring you.

Generally, a smaller company is more willing to negotiate these terms, since the person doing the hiring is likely to be closer to the person who came up with the contract.

I've refused to sign contracts because of draconian IP clauses. I always make sure the contract limits the scope of IP ownership to work done at the request of the employer. This is especially important for me since I've worked at home for years, so there's no clear demarcation between work/personal hours and equipment.