This question sounds like a perfect discussion for Slashdot. ;-) I bet you would get a lot of typical dumb comments, but a few people might have some very valuable legal information in regards to this issue. Would be worth posting on the /. message board to see the feedback. -Robby On Mon, 2004-08-09 at 16:58, Sunmaia wrote: > Hi > > A few thoughts..... > > You are in a difficult position and the approach will depend your company > and their ethics. > > At the worst you are screwed. They may offer you nothing. At this stage you > may face a choice of legal battle or to walk away. > > To win a legal battle you would need to prove ownership of something > copyright and their breech of it. Although they may rewrite in asp the > database structure and user interface may be yours, and you may be able to > prove it. Do you have the app on a third party server - datestamped files > may prove that you created your work before them. However proving the case > is likely to be difficult and expensive and might cost you your job - it > stinks but it may not be worth it. > > If they are a little fairer you might try making a business case. It sounds > as if you are up against closed minds, but ......... > > php is secure, unlike IIS which is a basket case where security is > concerned - challenge the IT dept to cite specifics. php runs in conjunction > with the webserver, so this needs qualifying anyway. > > MySql is used by NASA, Yahoo and an increasing range of Blue Chip companies > (see www.mysql.com). It does have some limitations, so you need to consider > whether these are relevant to your company. > > the business case is...... > > they have a ready made app which will do the job. If they ask the 3rd party > company to rewrite it will cost a lot, and you may also have M$ licensing > costs to pay. They will also have development time, during which the current > chaos will persist. > > You can also try reminding them that you have put many hours into this > project and showing it to them gives them no rights over it at all. If they > are going to build an app that tracks warranty info then let them design it. > But if they take your workflow, table design and screen designs then they > are pirating your work, just like the guy who takes a camcorder into the > latest film and sells the result. > > There is another side to the augment, though. If your company are an M$ shop > then supporting other technologies can be problematic - you say yourself > that they are point and click people. If you are the only person who knows > php/MySql then they are vulnerable - if you leave or are off sick they may > have a critical app without support. Rewriting in asp would answer this, but > (I am assuming that you are not working in IT now ) they may not want to > trust an unknown with a business critical app. This is a fairly brutal > assessment, which may have you screaming that you know exactly what you are > doing, but they may see you as a happy amateur. > > If it were my company I would see it as a sign of initiative and look to > build on the skills of someone who obviously cares about the state of the > company and has a talent for problem solving. In the real world you can hit > politics, ignorance and greedy b****s. > > I met a similar situation some years ago, and never reached any real > conclusion, so I would suggest aiming for an amicable solution or leave it. > If you are aiming for IT you might consider looking for a company that will > give you a break, and use the app as part of your CV. In my experience a > finished project speaks louder than letters after your name, particularly > where open source technologies are used. > > HTH > > Peter > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Vincent Jordan [mailto:vjordan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] > > Sent: 10 August 2004 00:03 > > To: php-db@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > > Subject: Intellectual property rights > > > > > > This is a bit off topic however it may be something people here have or > > will have the unpleasant opportunity to deal with. The company I work > > for has been having a problem tracking our customers warranty > > information and have used paper for items sent in for repair. I on my > > own time had created a web based application in php that would make both > > issues paperless, and in my own opinion getter overall. Once complete I > > informed my supervisor of the application and asked if It could be shown > > to the vice president for review, with the condition that this is my > > application and I own all source and design of the application. My > > supervisor said he would need our IT department to look it over before > > it went to the VP. At the request of the IT department head I downloaded > > the files and sql dump of the database to the company's server. The next > > day I wad in the IT office talking with the director of IT and a 3rd > > party company about the functions and design of the application. Because > > they are all Microsoft weenies and cant admin a server unless they can > > point and click their way to a fix they said php would not be an > > acceptable language and mysql is not a proper database to run an > > application on. I informed them I could rewrite this in asp.net and > > place it on a mssql database. The IT director said they will be having > > the 3rd party company just take what I have made, convert it to asp and > > build off of it. > > > > I approached my supervisor about compensation for the work that was done > > since they are using my design. I was told "you gave it to IT, there is > > nothing I can do about it" I explained that this was given on the > > condition that it would be shown to the VP and in hopes that I would > > either gain a transfer to IT, be awarded a contract to provide the > > solution and maintenance, or maintain my current position with a slight > > raise and I will maintain and built onto the application. > > > > I went up the chain to my supervisors boss and explained to them what > > had happened and that since they are using my design and altering it to > > another language that I would like to be compensated for my work. I was > > told that I did nothing but give them an idea and they were really doing > > all the work since what I did was not good enough and their computers > > could not understand what I wrote. > > > > The IT dept refuses to run anything besides Win Servers using IIS. They > > will not install PHP ( too many hacker problems they say). > > > > Did I just screw myself? Do I have any protection of my design? Can I do > > anything? > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Vinny > > -- /*************************************** * Robby Russell | Owner.Developer.Geek * PLANET ARGON | www.planetargon.com * Portland, OR | robby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx * 503.351.4730 | blog.planetargon.com * PHP/PostgreSQL Hosting & Development ****************************************/ -- PHP Database Mailing List (http://www.php.net/) To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
