[Fsf-friends] What terms to agree with while developing commercial software, so that it is to maximum extent possible compatible with GPL

Hi All I am a freelance S/W developer. Suppose if i get consultancy work, can you please guide me what terms/ conditions should I agree to, while signing on the dotted line so that the S/W I develop is to the maximum extent compatible with GPL. The clients may ask me to transfer the IP rights and copyrights. I may be given the the argument that since the client has given the problem is also paying for the software development it belongs to him/her I am just the coder (sic). IMHO I may not agree to that. What should be my stand on that. And I think as a freelance developer it is better if somehow I can stick with GPL, that would better protect my rights as a developer. But the problem is to convince the clients to follow the same. Kindly advice I would be thankful. Sincerely APS Atwal --------------------------------------- Thus spake the master programmer: "After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless." - Geoffrey James, "The Tao of Programming" ---------------------------------------