This is something I ask prospective employers during the interview process. If they have a lein on my free time, then I ask for an additional 20%, minimum, and explain to them why. I am willing to negotiate, but if they aren't, then I have to tell them no thanks, it's a matter of trust. The reason is, I used to work for a place that had such a rule. One time, they asked me to help with a problem, but I said that I couldn't. I'd learned the solution at a previous job, and my former employers who own the solution would want the current/grasping company to pay for it. This did not get a smile from teacher.

Luckily, I now work in a state that is fairly labor friendly, as opposed to Labor friendly. It's a right-to-work state, so unions cannot keep people out of a place if a business wants to hire them. (Well, except the teacher's union.) Likewise, intellectual property rights are fairly well-defended in the laws here, so we don't have to deal with it too often. But still, I keep my eyes peeled.

One thing I've found helpful is the nuisance factor. If you follow management directives to the letter, or rather to the sublime/ridiculous, things back off. Just go in one day and say "Mr Marketing VP, I just had a brilliant idea that is now the company's: meat-flavored ice cream." Do that enough and you're left alone.

--
tbone1
As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.

---

---

• Are you posting in the right place? Check out Where do I post X? to know for sure.
• Posts may use any of the Perl Monks Approved HTML tags. Currently these include the following:

  <code> <a> <b> <big> <blockquote> <br /> <dd> <dl> <dt> <em> <font> <h1> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <hr /> <i> <li> <nbsp> <ol> <p> <small> <strike> <strong> <sub> <sup> <table> <td> <th> <tr> <tt> <u> <ul>

• Snippets of code should be wrapped in <code> tags not <pre> tags. In fact, <pre> tags should generally be avoided. If they must be used, extreme care should be taken to ensure that their contents do not have long lines (<70 chars), in order to prevent horizontal scrolling (and possible janitor intervention).
• Want more info? How to link or How to display code and escape characters are good places to start.