Contributing - Balanced Employee IP Agreement (GitHub)
The Balanced Employee IP Agreement (BEIPA) is an open-source contract that clarifies ownership of employee intellectual property, designed to create a fair balance between company and employee rights. It is maintained on GitHub with contributions reviewed by GitHub Legal, making it a transparent, community-driven agreement that companies can trust.
Contributing
Hi there! We're thrilled that you'd like to contribute to the [project name]. Your help is essential. Our README describes the project, its purpose, and caveats, and is necessary reading for contributors.
Contributions to this project are released to the public domain under [licence type].
Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct [code of conduct link]. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.
Help wanted
Browse open issues to see current requests. We also generally want to hear about:
Legal issues with [project name] (e.g., how it works in different jurisdictions)
Typos
Clearer wording
Companies using [project name]
Translations
Other employee IP agreements that have been open sourced
Open an issue [issue tracker / feedback system link] to tell us about any of the above. You may also open a pull request to propose specific changes, but it's always OK to start with an issue.
Substantive questions about and suggestions for [project name] are welcome. We'll try to acknowledge them promptly, but may take a long time to respond on the substance, if we can. [company name] uses a version of the agreement, so our communication about it and direction for its development must be carefully considered. Also, remember that such communication is not legal advice and comes without warranty.
Versioning
[project name] applies MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH semantic versioning to its domain as follows:
MAJOR version when objectives of agreement change. A company using [project name] would have to fully evaluate a new major version to determine fit.
MINOR version when agreement changes do not change objectives of agreement but are substantial enough to merit legal scrutiny from any user.
PATCH version for corrections which any user would likely want to accept with minimal additional review.
Any change to the agreement text mandates a new version. Before merging any change to the agreement to main, a maintainer will:
Have changes reviewed by [legal team].
Update version number in the agreement title/heading and commit to branch to be merged.
Merge branch with new version.
Tag and push: git tag vx.x.x; git push --tags
Create docx, odt, and pdf copies of the agreement:
[document build commands]
Make a release from the tag created above, adding the docx, odt, and pdf copies as binary attachments.
[release link placeholder] will show the release just made.
This process may become more involved if and when required by translations, support for additional jurisdictions, or desire to have old versions available in source tree, rather than only in history. At this time it is not necessary to design these procedures before they are needed.
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This version is drafted for US law generally. Contract, employment and consumer rules vary by state — for example on non-competes and at-will employment. Tell GitLaw which state applies and it adjusts the draft.
Frequently asked questions
A template isn't binding on its own - like any contract, it becomes binding once it's properly completed and signed. Templates in our curated library are professionally drafted for US or UK law; review any template before you sign it.
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Mostly US and UK law. Some templates use general commercial terms that work across jurisdictions, and many note which law they're written for.
It depends on the situation. Templates work well for routine business agreements. For anything involving significant money, complex IP, employment, or areas you're unsure about, it's worth getting professional advice before you sign. GitLaw provides templates and tools, not legal advice.
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