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If one is interested in hiring a developer to realize ones ideas, both need to layout the exact terms of the commercial exchange that is to take place, and brought into wording, for later consultation and dispute resolution.
If you don't ask for this as the client of a developer, you as a client will most likely feel ripped off.
If you don't ask for this as a developer taking on contract work, you will likely feel ripped off.
So, if we sit together and discuss a cooperation effort, then following the verbal exchange, we have to write it all down - create a contract.
Then comes the step of agreeing on this contract. Only then should work commence, under the stated conditions.
This prevents the above. Why should someone paying a developer to realize an idea (which is not much, there are 6 billion people on this planet, that makes a lot of ideas), expect to then be the owner of the code, when this had never been stated?
To draw an analogy: you go to a restaurant and order a meal, do you expect to be given the recipe and have ownership owner it?
What we can conclude from this analogy is: everything has its price.
You may expect the recipe, but then you will have to come to a special agreement with the resteraunt owner and the chef. Again, this will cost you money.
You go to a coder, and ask him to spend time to create a this module for you, that fulfils a certain purpose, you expect to receive that module, just as you expect in a restaraunt to be served a meal. You want to be able to use that module in its purpose, just as you also want to eat the meal you have been served. Though you DON'T OWN THE CODE! Just as you DON'T OWN THE RECIPE!
I hope people pay more attention to this. Taking money for development purposes is a commercial activity, and therefore has to ad hear to the rules and principals of commerce. The most basic principal, is that of contractual exchange.
Just my 5 cents.