TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Dear all,
Just a note of thanks to the many people who contacted me both on- and
off-list regarding my query about intellectual property contracts. I
appreciate the personal stories you sent me of your own negotiation policies
and practices, and I am grateful for the citations for further research.
Since
I received requests for a summary of those citations, I thought I would post
them here. The main keywords to search for in research databases seem to be
non-compete clauses, non-disclosure clauses, respect for confidentiality,
copyright, sole ownership, work for hire, patents and royalties. Other
resources include an online column from the _San Francisco Chronicle_ called
"Workways" by Ilana DeBare (sfgate.com) and a chapter in Barnum and Carliner's
_Techniques for Technical Communicators_ (Allyn and Bacon 1993) entitled
"Protecting Your Work--Professional Ethics and the Copyright Law" by
Jacquelyn
L. Monday and Mary C. Hester.
Many thanks again,
Karen Lunsford
klunsfor -at- uiuc -dot- edu
U of Illinois, Center for Writing Studies, grad. program
