Looking for advice on a legal issue. Here's what happened.
employer claiming my side project IP. I've been dealing with this for about 2 months now and the situation isn't improving.
Has anyone been through something similar? What worked for you?
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.
Real talk: 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 just saying.
PSA: many consumer protection statutes allow recovery of attorney fees and treble (3x) damages. This means even if your actual damages are small, the statutory multiplier can make it worthwhile to pursue. Check your state's consumer protection act.
Has anyone tried mediation before going to court? In my county, the court actually requires mediation for disputes under $25K. It was faster and cheaper than I expected, and we reached a resolution in one 3-hour session.