How can I recruit a freelance programmer and protect my intellectual property?

[MCL_ProdColl]

We're looking to recruit a VB programmer to work on one of our Excel projects that we sell to clients - maintaining it, helping to develop it, bug-fix, etc. My question is how can I safeguard our intellectual property while employing someone who has the necessary skills but who won't take the project and re-sell it?

This sounds like a dumb question, and apologies to those who think it is, but I thought I'd come right out and ask it in this forum.

Feedback and suggestions would be gratefully received.

Thanks.

Andrew/MCL_ProdColl

[shg]

Ask your contracts department to prepare an appropriate non-disclosure and intellectual property agreement.

[MCL_ProdColl]

Hi shg......That was our first thought, but we don't have a contracts dept and agreements like that are difficult to enforce, especially across national boundaries.

I guess we'll have to find a developer we can trust!!

Thanks for the reply

Andrew

[snb]

If UBS can't prevent emplyeees to sell client data to tax authorities don't cherish any illusions in this respect.

[shg]

... especially across national boundaries.

There is no shortage of Excel experts in the UK. You could start by contacting some of the MS MVPs that post here on the forum (Colin Legg, Romperstomper) and ask if they are interested, or can suggest someone who might be.

[MCL_ProdColl]

Thanks for the reply - I'll do as you suggest. I'm really looking for a UK-based developer because some of what we need to develop will involve one-to-one meetings.

Appreciate your help though.

Andrew

[MCL_ProdColl]

I have no illusions and realise that nothing we do will make it bullet-proof but I wondered if anyone knew of a proven process that gives some legal protection.

Thanks for the reply.

[Pete_UK]

I think the most important thing here is trust.

If you were thinking of having an extension to your premises then you would get a number of builders in to give you quotes, but in addition to the prices you would form an opinion about the builders and ask for examples of previous work they have done, and take up references and ask previous customers about reliability, confidence etc. Why should it be any different with Excel development?

Pete

[MCL_ProdColl]

Thanks for your response, Pete. It is a little different because there are two issues at stake: can they actually do the work, and will they steal the ideas/existing VB code? I take your point though and I'll keep trying to find that trustworthy developer.

[kate_jaksn]

I see that this is the old topic, but would like to ask the community : are here any new specific ways to solve such a problem?

[MCL_ProdColl]

Hi Kate

As I posted this question originally I thought I'd let you know how we got on with this.

The reality is that it is very difficult to protect your intellectual property rights without recourse to time-consuming and expensive legal formalities. If someone wants to copy your ideas then they can and might do so, changing enough to get around IP issues.

As it turned out for us, we found an excellent programmer through this forum and after a series of phone calls and emails I decided (rightly, as it turned out) that we could trust him enough not to steal our ideas. We trusted our instincts.

If you still aren't sure, seek references for your proposed programmer(s).

Finally if you still have reservations and can split the programming tasks into discrete blocks then it might be possible to deliver your project without having to expose all of it to one person. Not ideal though and it's preferable to establish trust with your developers if possible.

I wish you luck!!

Andrew Lambert

[xladept]

This is probably naive but couldn't you copyright your unique notions and wouldn't your Excel expert have some of his/her own unique notions