Who owns my email?

[x5x3]

The situation is as follows.

I am a contractor working for company X.

I have an email address [e-mail]

If I send an email from or receive an email to that address - who actually "owns" that email?

The reason I am asking is that I foresee potential legal action at some point in the future. I'm not worried myself due to several layers of companies and contracts etc between company X and myself.

But I can see a situation where emails I have received or sent would be valuable to one or more of the intermediaries I work for.

However company X have a strict no .pst files allowed. So I have rules which forward all sent/received mail onwards.

So I have all the emails I need but it did get me thinking what would happen if I demanded they let me create and maintain a .pst file?

Can they legally refuse?

Thanks in advance.

[x5x3]

GreigM said:

This. Forwarding all email to a personal account is a very ill-advised thing to do.

please could you expand on why that is the case?

davepoth said:

I wouldn't be surprised if it was in the IT policy the OP signed without reading properly. We've all done it...

There is nothing in my contract about IT Policy and I have not signed anything directly with the end client.

[x5x3]

KrazyIvan said:

I don't know why you think this would be a protection. If you have agreed to work for them, you are bound by the company policy that would prevent you from using these emails for your own benefit or that of a rival company.

They will already know your forwarding them on, so I suspect your already in in a bit of a sticky situation.

If your about to-do something very questionable (which it sounds like you are), I would be getting some actual legal advice before you go any further.

I think you are getting the wrong idea. I have sent emails which warn of upcoming issues but were ignored by management that is all.

Unless you are suggesting that is questionable?

[x5x3]

Spitfire2 said:

GreigM said:

This. Forwarding all email to a personal account is a very ill-advised thing to do.

Agreed. At my place of work there would be a good chance of this leading to disciplinary action these days.

The odd thing is that it was a guy in IT who suggested it.... yes I have the email and yes I will print it out.

Without revealing a lot more about the end client it is going to be difficult to discuss further - there are valid reasons for my original question and it would be fair to say their IT policies are a little naive at times.

Thanks to those who responded constructively.