0

I have written some open source (MIT License) software. I wrote the software for my own company Company A, that is legally registered with myself as the only employee. I only registered it so I could contract between jobs.

Recently I began a new full-time job in a senior position Company B, and we build software, as an agency, for some very large global companies Company X.

If I build software in Company B and use some of the open source libraries I built in Company A, can Company A say the open source software is used by Company X?

Essentially I want to create a public web page about the open source software, and I want to know if I can say it's used by Company X?

or something like: used in Company X's Product X?

0

1 Answer 1

2

If I understand correctly, you know that X is using your software thanks to your inside knowledge as an employee of B. As a rule it is not permitted for you to reveal this information because it is owned by B.

Its also a little tendentious to claim that X is using your software, since it is only doing so as a result of its incorporation by B. It would be more accurate to say that B is using your software.

4
  • 1
    Also maybe company B could take a dim view on you using your employment at B to promote your own software, and such behavior might lead to suspicious that you used the software not in company B's best interest but in you own's.
    – SJuan76
    Feb 15, 2020 at 16:16
  • 1
    "It would be more accurate to say that B is using your software". The accuracy of your remark depends on the role or purpose of the libraries at issue. For instance, if the libraries are used for building the deliverable, then you are right. But if running the deliverable involves functionality from the libraries, then the OP's statement that company X is using his software is accurate. Feb 15, 2020 at 17:26
  • 1
    @SJuan76 "such behavior might lead to suspicious that you used the software not in company B's best interest but in you own's". Your assumption is too speculative. It is in company B's best interest not to reinvent the wheel (given the associated cost), which the OP would preclude by re-using functionality he already implemented in his open source libraries. Feb 15, 2020 at 17:33
  • 2
    It might have been in the company’s interest to have a different and more appropriate open source library used instead of the one the OP developed and is prone to promote. And, “company X is using it” implies company X choose it. That is not correct. Feb 15, 2020 at 17:43

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .