coffee_addict writes:
I've been reading a lot of your posts, Percy. I think you work with software, right?
I retired last year after 35 years in the EDA industry, but software is also my hobby and I'm still programming, like the software for this discussion board.
Then a couple years later they magically came up with a software of their own that looks different but does exactly what my software does? You and I both know that what makes a software valuable is not the UI. It's not even the behind-the-scene code. It's the idea that matters.
Unless they're patented, any ideas can be copied. There's another category called "trade secrets," but I don't think that fits your situation.
Can I install my software on their machine without legally giving them any right to it?
If you do that then both you and the company are entering legally ambiguous territory. Legal agreements like NDA's and so forth provide protections to both parties because they spell out commitments and responsibilities.
It is not uncommon in the software industry for someone with existing software to be hired with the express purpose of either productizing it or developing it for internal use. In such cases the hiring and the acquisition of the software are separate.
Here's one option: Forget the commercial value of your software. Join the big company at the great salary, install your software on your machines, then use it to your best advantage and have the best career possible. You won't have any of the worries associated with commercializing your product, like adding a decent UI, testing, releases, customer support, new features, etc., and your software might find itself somehow eventually available to everyone in some way, but you'll have all the best aspects of a large company, like health care, bonuses, stock plans, stock grants and raises.
But if you love your software too much to just let it go then make sure to get a legal agreement that covers its acquisition, including compensation to you. If you decide to go this route you should seek professional legal advice and commercial advice about the value of the software.
--Percy
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