Copyright Infringement — Gender Pay Gap

I'm dealing with a situation and need some guidance.

employer claiming my side project IP. I've been dealing with this for about 2 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves software/code I developed over the past 24 months. I do not have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

Should I hire a lawyer for this or try to handle it myself?

I practice in this area. Here's my take on the legal issues.

This is a common situation and the law is fairly clear. Under 17 U.S.C. § 106, substantially similar.

The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.

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

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

I ended up hiring an attorney to send the initial letter, which cost about $2-4 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

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

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

What worked for me was filing with the appropriate government agency. It took 4-8 months but was worth it.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

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

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

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

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

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is filing with the appropriate government agency. I'd recommend gathering evidence first instead.

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.

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.