iOS What should I do before hiring iphone developer..

[phreebees]

Hi! Im trying to hire a iphone developer but Im worried about them running off with my idea..what should I do to ensure that it doesnt happen? Im worried that in the middle of a project or before a project they see the potential is huge and takes the idea and changes it a little bit to make it there own. What are the steps I should take? Lawyer? Contracts? Help please!

 

[kainjow]

Yes, get an NDA written up. Probably can find a generic template.

 

[maclover001]

Found this on Scribd:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/67214/Generic-NDA

 

[phreebees]

yeah , an NDA would be in place...but is there some sort of a loophole around that? Say, change the idea up a little; enough to make it his own?

 

[kainjow]

I'd talk to a lawyer if you can. The few times I've dealt with an NDA I've always had a lawyer review it and he always caught things I would never have thought about. If you find a good dev who seems serious about his work, then this shouldn't even be a problem.

 

[firewood]

Go ahead and do an NDA and non-compete agreement.

But remember that unless the other party is trustworthy, for small parties a contract of that nature isn't of that much value. A lawsuit over an NDA can cost you 10's of thousands to millions of dollars.

But talk to your attorney (he/she will love to bill your per hour). IANAL.

 

[xsmasher]

yeah , an NDA would be in place...but is there some sort of a loophole around that? Say, change the idea up a little; enough to make it his own?

There's no copyright on ideas, so the NDA is the only thing protecting the idea. If they change the idea, use it, get rich, then you sue them for violating your contract and take their bags of money.

Some NDA's also state the amount of damages you're entitled to - essentially "I get $10k if you violate this NDA." Then you don't need to prove damages when you sue.

They only thing you can't do is enforce a contract that would prevent someone from working in their field at all. Some states reject noncompetes entirely, others have rules on how restrictive they can be.

But really - there's a saying to the effect that "If your idea is any good you'll have to shove it down their throats." Every NDA I've signed has been followed by an idea that no one would pick up if it were lying in the street. I'm firmly in the "ideas are cheap, execution is everything" camp.