Do I retain ownership over software written at work, if I have not signed any sort of intellectual property contract?
<p>At my current job, I was hired to be a call center rep and was moved to full-time software development under the same title/pay (I've been programming 8 hours/day for 5 months here). There are no intellectual property rights clauses in any of the paperwork I signed, nothing mentioning ownership of software for the company.</p>

<p>The closest thing I could find was the confidentiality agreement which states: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>No materials related to [Company Name] or its clients shall be removed
  from the premises or duplicated in any manner without
  direction/authorization of senior leadership.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Do I retain ownership/copyright of the software I write here?</p>

<p>Edit: </p>

<p>I'm reading into <em>Work for Hire</em> and am not quite sure how/when that applies. Does this apply if you have worked on software at any time (personal or work time) that is applied at work? And does it apply if it is not within the scope of my position? </p>

<p>In my case I have spent both personal and work time creating what I use. The scope of my position is to be a callcenter rep, however, I am given full leeway to develop, just not the position or pay.</p>

<p>As an employee you are performing "work for hire". All IP produced by work for hire belongs to the hirer i.e. your employer owns it, you don't.</p>

<p>Some jurisdictions recognise moral copyright which generally grants the individual creator rights to attribution and for their work to not be used in a way which could damage their reputation or the artistic merit in the work.</p>

copyright contract-law employment ownership work-for-hire