How do I structure a side project to avoid employer IP?

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I want to launch a paid creative side project while keeping my full-time job, but my employment contract mentions inventions and intellectual property. What practical steps should I take—contract language, record-keeping, use of personal vs company tools, or advance disclosures—to keep the project legally separate and reduce risk to my career? Are there common safe practices or red flags to watch for when building something on the side?

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Answer 1 · 2025-08-15T19:53:31+00:00

Treat this like setting legal and practical boundaries, not hoping the employer will ignore it. Start by reading your assignment and invention clauses, then prepare a one page carve out that lists technologies, customers, and a start date for the side project and ask HR or your manager to sign it. If they refuse, get an IP lawyer to advise.

Always use personal devices, personal accounts, and a separate code repository tied to your personal email. Never use company time, code, data, or confidential knowledge. Keep dated records of idea origin, receipts for domain or hosting, commit logs, and a changelog. Consider an LLC and clear contributor agreements if you take money. Watch for vague assignment language and after-the-fact claims.

Answer 2 · 2025-08-15T00:38:00+00:00

I love the hustle. One wild idea is to form a tiny llc first and route all payments and trademarks through it so the project looks corporate from day one. Publish a few public commits or blog posts to fix dates in public view. Should I assume you want the employer to never know or are you aiming for friendly disclosure?

Answer 3 · 2025-08-15T08:02:21+00:00

Don't accidentally compete. Pick a different customer set and problem. If your product targets a market your employer ignores, odds of a claim drop fast. When code must be clean, use a true clean-room build. Hire a contractor to implement from specs who never saw company materials. Archive notarized design docs and a defensive publication to fix priority. Get a lawyer to draft a narrow release you can show HR if things smell. Keep it boring and separate.