Most often lots of the thinking is done before joining the company. In fact many times people are hired because their thinking in the field. In fact the company hiring me themselves benefit from the knowledge I might have acquired at another company. So that whole "we own your brain and ideas" is simply wrong in every sense of the way.
As an employer you have a product that product consist of some code.
If you can show that employer X took code y and implemented it into their project then you have a case, if not you don't really have a case IMHO (although I am sure it doesn't stop wealthy employers from doing so anyway)
P.S. I used to be an employer of 70 people myself.
Most often lots of the thinking is done before joining the company. In fact many times people are hired because their thinking in the field. In fact the company hiring me themselves benefit from the knowledge I might have acquired at another company. So that whole "we own your brain and ideas" is simply wrong in every sense of the way.
As an employer you have a product that product consist of some code.
If you can show that employer X took code y and implemented it into their project then you have a case, if not you don't really have a case IMHO (although I am sure it doesn't stop wealthy employers from doing so anyway)
P.S. I used to be an employer of 70 people myself.