Misappropriation of one's engineering work
I have a small company that developed a software program that created a new concept, design and direction in management. A few years ago I made several presentations to a committee of regulators and their engineer (from a prominent engineering firm) whom was hired as a consultant. They were very interested and excited about my program and asked me to give several detailed presentation, the engineer was present at every presentation. The group applied for and received an EPA grant, the grant included funding for the development of a management program which detailed the program concept, design and features of the program I presented to this group.
To make a long story short after receiving the grant I never heard from them again. Later I found out that the engineer and his firm used the money to hire software developer to create a product similar to mine under the firms name and has been aggressively competing against me.
I am a small company and cannot afford to sue or compete against such a large engineering firm. After confronting one of the employees of the firm I was informed that no one owns ideas; sue us, if you can afford it!
I was recently approached by an engineer that told me that I should forget suing them and start looking into ethics violations. It was his opinion as a licensed engineer that ethic violations may have accrued. In fact he was outraged that an engineer would so blatantly and in his words unethically use information from product presentations that were made in good faith and then have both the engineer and the firm use federal dollars to create a product for themselves.
To make a long story short after receiving the grant I never heard from them again. Later I found out that the engineer and his firm used the money to hire software developer to create a product similar to mine under the firms name and has been aggressively competing against me.
I am a small company and cannot afford to sue or compete against such a large engineering firm. After confronting one of the employees of the firm I was informed that no one owns ideas; sue us, if you can afford it!
I was recently approached by an engineer that told me that I should forget suing them and start looking into ethics violations. It was his opinion as a licensed engineer that ethic violations may have accrued. In fact he was outraged that an engineer would so blatantly and in his words unethically use information from product presentations that were made in good faith and then have both the engineer and the firm use federal dollars to create a product for themselves.
In reviewing the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers, I believe that this engineer and his firm may have cross the line with I-1, III-3a, 4a/4b, 9a/9b.
I am looking for advice. Is there someone from the state that I should be talking with? Should I be talking to a specific ethics review committee? Is there anything I can do? Or is this an acceptable practice for engineers?
Thank You
Misappropriation of one's engineering work posted by C**311
Misappropriation of Ideas does count as plagiarism posted by CarolineWhitbeck