More of a legal question than anything regarding custom mods

[The Equivocate]

Let's say I pay someone X number of dollars to create a custom modification for me. Other posters here see this thread and want the hack for themselves. What's to stop that programmer from selling that exact same code to them for half of what I paid? Do I have any kind of legal recourse in a situation like this?

I'm not saying it happened or that I expect it to happen, but it's something I've been worried about

[Code Monkey]

Depends on wether you stated at the begining that you retain all copyright.

[The Equivocate]

Well I haven't started the coding process yet, so whatever I need to do before I begin...

[Staxed]

best way to do it (i've done it before in cases where I paid over $1000 for something) is to have a contract written up stating all the terms of both sides...(and have a lawyer do it)