在美国作为developer, 很多人会关心自己业余开发的软件，雇主是否有所有权?
关于这个问题，笔者研究了一下。美国这方面的法律是根据各个州的不同而不同。加州的法律来说，对于软件工程师比较友好。也就是说，程序员业余做的软件项目，只要不是利用公司的资源做的，雇主是无法claim该软件的所有权的。
加州的劳动法里，具体设计这方面的信息的地方，请看
LABOR CODE SECTION 2870-2872, 节选如下:
(a) Any provision in an employment agreement which provides that an employee shall assign, or offer to assign, any of his or her rights in an invention to his or her employer shall not apply to an invention that the employee developed entirely on his or her own time without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information except for those inventions that either:
(1) Relate at the time of conception or reduction to practice of the invention to the employer's business, or actual or demonstrably anticipated research or development of the employer; or
(2) Result from any work performed by the employee for the employer.
(b) To the extent a provision in an employment agreement purports to require an employee to assign an invention otherwise excluded from being required to be assigned under subdivision (a), the provision is against the public policy of this state and is unenforceable.
根据上述加州的法律，如果确实是自己业余开发的软件(没有利用公司的资源而且也不是公司业务的延伸)，但雇主硬是要求将该软件化为公司所有的话， 那么公司的这种做法就是违反法律的了。
美国其他的一些州也有类似的法律，下面是这些州和相关法律的列表:
California -
Cal. Lab. Code 2870-72
注: 加州的法律还要求雇主要将这项法律通知员工.
Delaware -
Del. Code Ann. tit. 19 805
Illinois -
765 Ill. Comp. Stat 1060/2
Kansas -
Kan. Stat. Ann. 44-130
North Carolina -
N.C. Gen. Stat. 66-57.1-.2
Washington -
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. 49.44.140, .150
Utah -
Utah Code Title 34 Chapter 39
需要指出的一点是，有的公司是全美性质的，跨州经营。所以，公司总部制定的劳资合同，比较general, 不一定就符合各个州政府的规定。所以，如果业余自己开发软件的话，最好向律师咨询，问问清楚.
