[srs0001]

Oddly, I was thinking about this exact topic this weekend. When I joined my current company, I signed a document saying whatever I build belongs to the company.

I'd like to go back and have this reversed. What is the best course of action? Write a letter saying that what I create on my own time is my property, and have the CEO or HR Manager sign it?

[Duhck]

You need to obtain a moonlighting clause. It gives you permission to work on an idea or set of ideas. Your employer should have one available.

[ht_th]

I always wondered: does your contract really state "whatever you build", or does it state something like "whatever you build in the same (specific) domain you're working on for the company"? Let us say, you work for a cookie-cutter company, designing new cookie-cutters. I understand that, if you would invent in your spare time a doughnut cutter, the company could argue that you did so using company's resources (namely you working on cookie cutters, learning all about cutting cookies, designing cookie-cutters, and related stuff). Now, if you would invent in your spare time a flying moped, would that belong to the company as well? And if you'd write a novel about Romance on Monkey Island? That would seem odd to me as it has no bearance on your work for the cookie-cutter company, not seems your experiences at that company transfer to these domains you work on in your spare time (and vice versa, for that matter).

[brc]

You're unlikely to get it reversed.

Get a carve-out agreed. You should be able to reasonably work that out by indicating you're working on X, in your own time, on your own equipment. X belongs to you and not the company. X is not in competition with the company.

Most places will grant that with little fuss.