Posted as Anonymous Monk rather that my real account, please forgive me.

Engineering students, be advised that the exploitation can begin far before you graduate. In my final year, I developed some software as a senior project. Before commencing, I made sure that the school's policy was that all works are owned by the student. In addition, every line of that code was written on my own computer, with no university resources involved. Furthermore, a significant part of the code was written months before the course even started as a hobby project, and recycled for the course. You can, perhaps, predict the next part of this story.

The prof decided that my software belonged to HIM (not the university, HIM). Not only that, but even the code that I made on my own free time, using my computer. A meeting with the Dean (with him present as well!) confirmed that, yes indeed, I owned the software, and could do with it what I wished.

Afterwards, my prof took my aside and explained that, what the Dean said notwithstanding, unless I gave him the software, he would fail me, and I would not graduate. Sure, it could be appealed- but my transcript would still show that when it was mailed out in May.

Well, what could I do? It's not like this was ground-breaking software that would make the owner millions. It was, in fact, rather useless outside of its niche application. So, I caved. But I also graduated.

Be forewarned, monks, there are lazy people out there who have realized it's much easier to steal than to create, and these people are attracted likes moths to a flame to anything they think they can snatch.

In reply to Re: (OT) Professional Employees: who owns your thoughts? by Anonymous Monk
in thread (OT) Professional Employees: who owns your thoughts? by Ovid

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