what P-C is describing is a "work for hire" agreement, where you assign all rights to your products to the company. However, as you describe the situation, you never actually worked for them, you talked with them about a working situation, and showed them some ideas, and could not come to an agreement.

No P-C. I wasn't working for the company. I was an organization development consultant at the time and put this product together as a way to combine all my interests into a service that would make companies work better.

In fact, the 'motto' of the product they are peddling is a direct quote from me. The language, however, is pretty generic, so...hard to claim it as my personal genius. The other stuff though? Yeah, identifiable.

eta: Right Vortex. The two principles loved the idea and praised me highly for it. After a number of discussions, they suddenly stopped taking my calls.

insent, bonnie.

cripes bonny! that is evil beyond belief. Not to mention, perhaps, that this is now YOUR company - seeing as it is your idea. I don't want to fan the fire, because aneurysms are not what I like happening to my friends - so if this is going to cause you too much pain, then step back, by all means, and let the professionals handle it. And by that I mean:

Holy shit, bonny. Lawyer 'em in the ass!

moreover, it sounds like the list of documentation you gave is quite a pile - and I'm guessing you didn't sign any non-disclosures, or if you had, they didn't pay you so there's no conclusion of contract (totally making up stuff here now).

Lee, insent.

bonny, get a good lawyer.

I dropped off the application today and the real estate person said we would hear either tomorrow or Monday. So now it's wait wait wait and avoid any possible calls from the current landlord.

Definitely sue, Bonny. Also, word from the burned--be careful what you post here about all of it. We are still a public forum, and I know that gets tricky with legal situations. (NOT telling you not to talk about it, just to be clear. Vent away. Just continue to be verrrrrrry vague.)

ETA: YAY sj!

Nope. No non-disclosure. No payment. Nada.

Just the sadly predictable outcome that a 'small potatoes' solopreneur would eventually give up and slink away without checking back to see what the company was up to.

I did it to myself. I handed over something that is obviously better than even I thought, didn't demand good faith money, didn't expect any nefarious activity...and then gave up on a dream that meant a lot to me at the time.

Right Kristin. I totally get the...don't say something anyone can use against you later...thing.

I guess that is a question to ask. Have I said anything that is identifiable or usable?

Consult with an atty., I urge you. The worst that can happen is that you find out that you really don't have any rights, and wouldn't it be better to hear that from someone who works in the field of intell. prop.?