AI Training on Copyrighted Data — employer claiming my side project IP

Quick background on my situation — any input appreciated.

employer claiming my side project IP. I've been dealing with this for about 16 months now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves software/code I developed over the past 22 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

Do I have a strong case? What should my next steps be?

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's consumer protection office? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

I've handled similar cases. Here's my take on the legal issues.

The legal framework here involves both federal and state law. At the federal level, the Lanham Act. Your state may provide additional protections.

I'd recommend documenting everything in writing from this point forward. Keep copies of all communications.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's attorney general? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

NAL, but from what I've read, you should file a complaint. That said, definitely get a lawyer to look at the specifics.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

I've dealt with this before.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is escalating to a supervisor/manager. I'd recommend following the formal complaint procedure instead.

Following this thread — I'm in a very similar situation. Would love to hear how it turns out.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

Have you tried reaching out to your state's consumer protection office? They sometimes have free resources or mediation services.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

In my case, it took about 4-8 months to resolve. The key was filing with the appropriate government agency.