Articles filed in category 'Legalities and the Law'

In an interesting court case between rental car giant Hertz and international consulting firm Accenture, claims were filed that one party is in breach of contract. John uses this case to show how even small-shop independent consultants should carry some sort of liability insurance.

If you’ve ever been to a conference, you’ve seen a code of conduct. Are they binding? What do they really mean, anyway? John tells us what’s wrong with most of them and how to create one that’s inclusive and legal.

If you’ve ever wondered what you can use from other people’s work, you’ll find the answer in John’s article. He tells us the legal realities about copyright and fair use.

Before you sign on the dotted line, be sure you know which rights you retain and which you give up when you accept that great new job. John makes sure that we read the contract and understand what it says.

John takes a look at the pitfalls and foibles in using outside staffing to finish your project and gives some good advice.

The HIPAA laws are about more than keeping medical and health information private. John tells you what exactly your security obligations are, whether you are an employee or a freelancer.

If you ever wondered what the difference was between a license and a contract, or if you’ve ever wondered how to safeguard your app, you’ll want to read John’s interesting look at the nature of such things.

John lets you know about some recent legal changes, such as Facebook’s ReactJS licensing reversal, the new EU General Data Protection Regulation, copyright enforcement, professional liability insurance, and the new Linux Foundation Community Data License.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you need a patent or if a copyright is good enough, you’ll find John’s research into the subject fascinating.

Your user group has some serious experts in it and it’s time to share the knowledge. If your group wants to host conferences, offer classes, or even go into business, you’ll want John’s advice about what you need to start the process.

John takes a look at what makes a person a “professional” and how the development climate is changing.

What’s the difference between a trade secret and a patentable idea? What about copyright—how does that work into the equation. John makes it all clear with a focus on trade secrets.

Facebook’s ReactJS copyright is a curious combination of the BSD OSS license and a grant document. John tells you what that means and whether or not that’s good news for your project.

When you work for someone, whether as a direct, full-time employee, as a contractor, or as a statutory employee, who owns the code that you produce? John explains who owns what and why.

Leaving a job is always stressful, but it’s worse when it’s not your idea. John looks at the legal implications for the end of a work assignment, and discusses pre-emptive things you should know when you’re signing that next contract.