[BC] How standard is THIS?

[Mike McCarthy]

In 17 years of contracting, I never once saw that clause and would have 
stricken it from the agreement if I did (except for military/high security 
applications where a HD or network infrastructure could be compromised by a 
drive which is hacked.) This is pure BS.

A very sage Dear Abby line comes to mind, "Only you can allow yourself to 
be taken advantage of..."  Just because it's something they include in a 
contract doesn't mean it's etched in stone.  EVERYTHING in a contract is 
negotiable except that which is covered by statute or ordinance.

Strike it completely out and initial. Tell them if they really want YOUR 
services, the title to YOUR tools and such remain YOUR's unless they 
PURCHASE them from you in an agreed upon manner which will be included in 
the agreement. For equipment, they can buy it and you'll install it for 
them on a time only basis. Or your rate is double that otherwise with a 
minimum hourly requirement of 4 hours per day to compensate for the title 
conversion of your equipment and tools.

MM

At 10:28 AM 10/14/2007 -0500, JYRussell at academicplanet.com wrote
>Hi folks -
>
>   I was considering an opportunity for some part time work while doing about
>3 other things...  my wife was looking at the contract while I was away, and
>called me in a panic.
>
>"Do you realize that if you work for these people, even part time, every
>tool you ever use doing things for them becomes their property?  It says
>"including but not limited to computers, hard drives, email accounts" and
>she read off a laundry list of other things.
>
>    I wonder how many other companies expect us to be in the business of
>donating all our personal equipment?  Buying things on our own dime just to
>give them away?
>
>How standard is this, now...?
>
>Jason
>
>_______________________________________________
>
>The BROADCAST [BC] list is sponsored by SystemsStore On-Line Sales
>Cable-Connectors-Blocks-Racks-Test Gear-Tools-Lots More + Now Barix too!
>www.SystemsStore.com       Tel: 407-656-3719    Sales at SystemsStore.com