Legal Question in Telecomm Law in California
Domain name & email ownership.
I suggested that the email system at
the company where I work was too
confusing & complicated to use.
I proposed setting up a new email
system. The CEO of my company
agreed & we chose an appropriate
domain name together. I purchased
2 domains using my own money.
The CEO was aware that I used my
own money & registered them in my
name. He did not offer to
compensate me or ask me to register
the domains under my company's
name. I have emails to prove this.
I spent several days setting up
individual emails using Google
business applications & importing all
emails & contacts from my
company's old email accounts. I
deleted all information from the
old accounts as requested by my
company.
The new system has been
working without a single problem for
5 months. I have still not been
compensated for the purchase of the
domains.
If I were to leave my company would
I be within my rights to change the
email passwords & request that the
company purchase the domains from
me if they wish to regain access to
emails, contacts etc? Would I be
within my legal rights? & would I be
able to ask for any amount I deem
appropriate?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Domain name & email ownership.
If you were an employee of the company at the time, and bought the domain name, etc., on behalf of the company, and if doing so was within the ordinary course and scope of your employment (i.e., it was part of your job to do so), then the company is the real owner of these things, even though you paid for them. All you'd be entitled to receive is reimbursement of your out-of-pocket expenses.
Just submit an expense voucher and get reimbursed.
If you feel that all of this was beyond the scope of your job, NEGOTIATE a bonus or something, but don't try to exert your leverage the way you propose. Don't try to hold-up the company by changing passwords, restricting access, etc., it'll just get you a heap of trouble.
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