Case Scenario: John has been working on developing a software program that will enable people to construct very complex spreadsheets through simple voice commends (for example, "Regress costs against revenue."). John does this work on his company laptop during his lunch breaks at Mega Corporation, where he works as a systems analyst on corporate payroll systems. He is very careful not to go over his standard lunch time. He also asks his cubemate, Sheryl, who is a programming whiz, a technical question from time to time. John makes a technical breakthrough and his product is impressive. He approaches a venture capital firm and with their offer to back him, he quits Mega Corporation to start and build his own company. Mega hears about John's new company and sues to gain a portion of the new company. Mega contends that its resources were used and that John used the training Mega had given him to create the new product and therefore, it is Mega's product as much as it is his. Mega Corporation will:
1) Not prevail, as John did not use company time but his own personal time to develop the product.
2) Be able to make a solid claim, because John used his training from Mega to develop the product; he knew nothing about programming when he came to Mega.
3) Be able to make a good case, because John used his company's laptop computer to design the product.
4) Be able to make a solid claim, because John asked Sheryl several questions and used her ideas in the product while she was working on Mega company time.