Hi

I am looking for some advice about my website / chat site I have.

I have an ex friend and business partner informing me that he is going to contact his lawyer for half ownership of my website. I have done all the work 100% my self so I have the intellectual Property/Ownership on the site, database etc

He is claiming that I developed the site while I was "working" with him, where as I developed the site completely im my own time.

I was just wondering where I stand with this and wanted to confirm that he wouldn't relay stand a chance in getting any ownership of it since I am the owner, developed it my self in my own time, and I own the Intellectual Property right on it.

Thank you

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BigRossCo
ChatzWorld

What makes him think that he has any claim over your site?

Get in touch with your lawyer and sue him for making fictitious claims!

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i do not know all he claims is that i developed the site while we were working together as business partners in the time i was working in our office.

But i did not, i developed the site from home, in evenings and weekends in my own time!

I know he wont have any chance of getting it via legal action as he did not contribute anything at all!

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BigRossCo
ChatzWorld

I think you have nothing to worry about, but if you were business partners and the business revolved around or involved the site in any way you may be at risk.

If it was something that never mixed finances, nothing was registered under the business name etc then it should be easier to rest soundly.

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I was gonna kind of state the same thing that Toucan said.

You keep referring to him as a business partner. Do you guys have any legal documents stating this or is it just an oral agreement? or if that some of your stuff you did "outside" your partnership is yours and your only?

I think you have put yourself in a difficult position.

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we had a oral agreement, if it was even called that.

It wasnt realy a partnership at all

The business we were working with were not named as the "creaters" of the site, it was just me, no money from the business was used, only my own personal money was used. so yes to If it was something that never mixed finances, nothing was registered under the business name etc

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BigRossCo
ChatzWorld

The only way he could win this is that he could prove that you either A. Did work on it during times of business of which he was a part of. B. You were able to accomplish making the site via means that you would not have had access to had you not been in the partnership with the business. IE. a business laptop that was registered to the business. I went though this battle a few years ago on a piece of software I wrote for the company I was working for at the time. It was not written on their time, instead I did all the work unpaid and on my own time. In the end I had to relinquish my rights to the software because stupid me used their laptop to write it, thus they had grounds to say I wouldn't have written it with out the laptop and tools I had on the laptop.

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I think Larry nailed it on this one.

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Don't worry about it. Odds are, this is an empty threat.

IF you are actually contacted by his lawyer or receive a court order for something, then you worry about it...otherwise, don't. And if his lawyer comes up and wants to talk to you - tell him you don't want to talk until you can talk to your lawyer first, and he will have to let you.

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