[Fsf-friends] What terms to agree with while developing commercial software, so that it is to maximum extent possible compatible with GPL

[Ajay Pal Singh Atwal]

Hi All

I am a freelance S/W developer. Suppose if i get consultancy work, can you
please guide me what terms/ conditions should I agree to, while signing on
the dotted line so that the S/W I develop is to the maximum extent
compatible with GPL.

The clients may ask me to transfer the IP rights and copyrights. I may be
given the the argument that since the client has given the problem is also
paying for the software development it belongs to him/her I am just the
coder (sic). IMHO I may not agree to that. What should be my stand on
that.

And I think as a freelance developer it is better if somehow I can stick
with GPL, that would better protect my rights as a developer. But the
problem is to convince the clients to follow the same.

Kindly advice I would be thankful.

Sincerely

APS Atwal

---------------------------------------
Thus spake the master programmer:
  "After three days without programming,
   life becomes meaningless."
 - Geoffrey James,
  "The Tao of Programming"
---------------------------------------