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Originally Posted by borked
I don't get it then, if it's clear cut on it his - most of my functions come from my own library, which get used and reused time and time again. They're mine.
So if someone asks me to write something similar, or crap, identical, I have to refuse because I will reuse the same code?
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Your function library is yours, yes. And you are, in most cases, allowed to use it again and again and again in similar projects.
The problem arises when you do commissioned work. In most cases, especially when the buyer gives a description of what he wants, the project as a whole, as well as the truly novel parts derived from and essential to the project as a whole, belong to him.
Think about it - otherwise, all freelance programmers would just start their own script sites, and sell off commissioned work as packages, since they coded it already anyway.
You kinda fucked yourself, in this case, by especially asking him about developing the novel feature, and getting paid extra to develop it.
One way you might get around all this, though, is to recode the entire thing, but with a few structural differences. This'll only work if the project was somewhat similar to existing software, though (so he can't take credit for the idea).