Intellectual Property in Network Design

Thu Feb 12 08:45:11 UTC 2015

I include a "no intellectual property ownership is transferred between the Parties" clause in just about everything we do.  Doesn't demand that any of the questions you raise be answered, but shuts the door to problems pretty firmly. 

                -Bill

> On Feb 12, 2015, at 17:20, Skeeve Stevens <skeeve+nanog at eintellegonetworks.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I have two perspectives I am trying to address with regard to network
> design and intellectual property.
> 
> 1) The business who does the design - what are their rights?
> 
> 2) The customer who asked for the rights from a consultant
> 
> My personal thoughts are conflicting:
> 
> - You create networks with standard protocols, configurations, etc... so it
> shouldn't be IP
> - But you can design things in interesting ways, with experience, skill,
> creativity.. maybe that should be IP?
> - But artwork are created with colors, paintbrushes, canvas... but the
> result is IP
> - A photographer takes a photo - it is IP
> - But how are 'how you do your Cisco/Juniper configs' possibly IP?
> - If I design a network one way for a customer and they want 'IP', does
> that mean I can't ever design a network like that again? What?
> 
> I've seen a few telcos say that they own the IP related to the network
> design of their customers they deploy... which based on the above... feels
> uncomfortable...
> 
> I'm really conflicted on this and wondering if anyone else has come across
> this situation.  Perhaps any legal cases/precedent (note, I am not looking
> for legal advice :)
> 
> If this email isn't appropriate for the list... sorry, and please feel free
> to respond off-line.
> 
> ...Skeeve
> 
> *Skeeve Stevens - Founder & Chief Network Architect*
> eintellego Networks Pty Ltd
> Email: skeeve at eintellegonetworks.com ; Web: eintellegonetworks.com
> 
> Phone: 1300 239 038 ; Cell +61 (0)414 753 383 ; Skype: skeeve
> 
> Facebook: eintellegonetworks <http://facebook.com/eintellegonetworks> ;
> Twitter: eintellego <https://twitter.com/eintellego>
> 
> LinkedIn: /in/skeeve <http://linkedin.com/in/skeeve> ; Expert360: Profile
> <https://expert360.com/profile/d54a9>
> 
> 
> The Experts Who The Experts Call
> Juniper - Cisco - Cumulus Linux - Cloud - Consulting - IPv4 Brokering