How do you protect your IP in a startup?
composed: IP has gone "the way of the dodo", meaning become obsolete, for all digital copyright forms including software. The solution is to develop a robust business model that depends on generatives. See http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/01/better_than_f....Assume your competitors are already doing the same thing and even putting out better code. Your business model should be robust enough to withstand this also. Consequently, a new worker who downloads and walks away is no greater threat than the existing competitor, assumed or real. Stronger stated... the loss of IP and consequent spread of one of your infinite resources... why that's beneficial advertising in this day and age. Get the business model right, and the IP worry disappears.Open source is like the musician giving away free mp3s. Proprietary code, and all the IP concerns it requires, are like overpriced physical CDs from major labels.  More prosperity awaits you in the long tail and in generatives.Best of luck!