Patent Infringement Question — employer claiming my side project IP

I'm in a difficult situation and trying to figure out my next steps.

employer claiming my side project IP. I've been dealing with this for about 10 months now and the situation isn't improving.

This involves software/code I developed over the past 21 months. I do have documentation proving my ownership and timeline.

What's the typical outcome in situations like this?

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

What worked for me was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. It took 2-4 months but was worth it.

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

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

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

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

The key question is whether the applicable statute of limitations has run. Depending on your jurisdiction, you typically have 17 U.S.C. § 106 years for this type of claim.

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

Been there. Here's what I learned.

What worked for me was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. It took 2-4 months but was worth it.

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

What worked for me was escalating to a supervisor/manager. It took 1-3 months but was worth it.

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.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

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

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

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.

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

I ended up having everything documented, which cost about $3-6 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

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

In my case, it took about 3-6 months to resolve. The key was having everything documented.

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

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

What worked for me was escalating to a supervisor/manager. It took 1-3 months but was worth it.

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.

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

I ended up escalating to a supervisor/manager, which cost about $1-3 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

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

I went through almost the exact same thing.

In my case, it took about 1-3 months to resolve. The key was escalating to a supervisor/manager.

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