Does Committing Code to an Open Source Project Mean Committing Career Suicide?

"Plenty of developers work on open source projects on their own time or even with their employer's blessing. But before you become a committer, you should be aware of these legal concerns.

"In these days of economic uncertainty, it's more important than ever for developers to contribute to open source projects. There are plenty of reasons to work on open source: to keep your skills up-to-date (especially if you are unemployed, underemployed, or want a better job), to make a difference in a community where your efforts are valued, or just to keep the open source project moving forward. Every snippet of code contributed builds a better mousetrap, but you also need to safeguard yourself from lawsuits.

"Yes, lawsuits! Whether you contribute small bug fixes or entire code modules, every developer needs to be aware that some people do not look at such donations in the spirit of generosity."

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