Can a company claim ownership/copyright of a novel wrItten on a company-owned laptop, on company premises but after-hours?
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Can a company claim ownership/copyright of a novel wrItten on a company-owned laptop, on company premises but after-hours?
The final “version” of the novel was not saved to the hard drive of the computer but rather to a flash drive. Hoowever, the author did not own the laptop. The author’s employer owned the laptop. Could this be grounds for employment termination (there is a contract in place)?
Asked on December 15, 2011 under Business Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
Michael D. Siegel / Siegel & Siegel, P.C.
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
No on the copyright question. Termination depends on company policy for using equipment for private purposes.
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