You may have noticed that I recently added a Creative Commons license to this blog and my website. This license grants you permission to use anything written here as long as you are using it for non-commercial purposes, you attribute it to me and you don't modify it.

By giving that permission to you, I have given something that isn't mine - the right to my ideas. I recently read over the confidentiality and trade secret agreement I signed as part of my employment at Masterworks it says:

Employee shall, during the term of Employee's employment, disclose promptly to Masterworks in writing all ideas, plans and discoveries related to Masterworks' business, as defined in "2" above, whether or not conceived or developed during working hours or on the property of Masterworks. Such ideas, plans and discoveries shall be the property of Masterworks and it shall have the right to any copyrights, trademarks that may be issued or be available with respect to the same. Employee shall also, and hereby does, assign to Masterworks and/or its nominees all Employee's right, title and interest in such ideas, plans and discoveries.

Masterworks business is defined as:

... any and all information not generally known or recognized as standard practice, disclosed to, developed by, know or contributed by Employee as a consequence of or through Employee's employment by Masterworks about any and all of the technology, research, procedures and results, reports, equipment, forms, processes and products, services used, identity and description of services used, client lists, purchasing, accounting, engineering, marketing, mailing lists, merchandising, selling and servicing, surveying and business method used or developed by or for Masterworks.

So in layman's terms anything I think of related to anything having to do with running a small business or management or fundraising anywhere, anytime is owned by Masterworks. This isn't unique to Masterworks, in fact you can find similar language on RealDealDocs for free.

This language is left over from a time where processes had to be protected in order for a company to survive. I could publish every bit of Masterworks process, every analytical device we use and we would still be competitive. Why? Because it is our creative ideas and our ability to actually use the tools that sets us apart.

I will continue to publish my thoughts and ideas in this space and I believe by doing so I help Masterworks be more competitive, not less.