[ale] [WAY OT]Reverse Engineering MS Visual Basic Applications

[Geoffrey]

ChangingLINKS.com wrote:
>> Not to chide anyone, but if someone pays to have software written
>> for them, THEY OWN IT, not the writers. The company who writes it,
>> unless they are devious and the client doesn't read the the
>> agreement and PROTEST LOUDLY, should have no more claim to
>> ownership of the code than the shoemaker does to the shoes on my
>> feet.
> 
> 
> Wasn't someone on this list saying that by default it is the
> opposite? I thought the law was that the writer had
> ownership/copyright and the buyer could not resell unless there was a
> contract that shows the buyer had the rights?
> 
> Personally, I think that the buyer should have all of the rights -
> just as the programmer should have all of the rights to the money
> they get paid.

INAL, but I've researched this, and as I understand it, at least in the 
state of Georgia, it depends on the contract.  I've picked up a number 
of books on small businesses and they all have different wordings for 
contracts dependent on what the final intent of the ownership is.  All 
the contract templates I've seen, you specify what the buyer rights are 
regarding the software and what the developer's rights are.

Personally, I think it should depend on the agreement.  I'm currently 
negotiating with a client regarding one work effort.  I've told him that 
if I build this system for him it will be one price, but if I build it 
for him and then sell it to others, it'd be a lot cheaper.

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey	esoteric at 3times25.net

Building secure systems inspite of Microsoft