[GeertB]

In particular, if you're developing Free Software or Open Source Software, and a company wants to hire you, it is _expected_ that they're OK with you continuing to do so. If any contract says otherwise, explain that you need to keep doing what you're doing in order to stay at the level of expertise that you're at. If a future employer would not agree for you to keep doing that, you shouldn't sign.

[basicplus2]

I find that if you simply change the wording of their contract to what you are happy with, initial all your changes, sign all pages, sign it, photocopy it, and send it in, nobody rejects it.

Later when they try to hold you to the original contract, you simply ask them for the contract you signed..

This has worked for me everytime :)

[arghwhat]

Note that not notifying the other party of changes could possibly be construed as fraud, depending on what legal system you are under.

But even when notified of the changes, the other party is quite likely to accept reasonable changes when they have a fully signed copy, as it is more convenient than pushing back...

[dottedmag]

Wait until contracts start to come in DocuSign, where the only thing you can do is to scribe something obscene instead of a signature.

[abawany]

Remember that some contracts protect against this intrinsically by stating that no amendments beyond those stated in print are valid.

[WalterBright]

It's best to write down what you expect and get agreement on important matters like this.