Whar are my legal rights for a Breech of Contract?

[rangerhofer]

What is the name of your state? Wisconsin
Has a breech of contract happened if I invented a product and have the patent in my name for a company and they do no pay me my $1.00? At the time of the invention I was employeed at this company and invented a very profitable product which has and is continuing to make them money. I agreed in a written contract to basically sign away any rights to that product under the conditions that they pay me $1.00. I was fired and treated very unfairly for no reason except to save money in the company by eliminating the larger salaried people, of which I was one. I was the first listed on the patent as I was the inventor and primary designer. There are two other people listed after me on the patent who helped bring it to the fabrication table. They also have not ever been paid their $1.00 but continue to be employed by this company. Do I have a legal leg to stand on or would all this company have to do now is send me my $1.00 and be done with it? This invention is about 6 years old now. Thanks.

[divgradcurl]

Originally Posted by rangerhofer

What is the name of your state? Wisconsin
Has a breech of contract happened if I invented a product and have the patent in my name for a company and they do no pay me my $1.00? At the time of the invention I was employeed at this company and invented a very profitable product which has and is continuing to make them money. I agreed in a written contract to basically sign away any rights to that product under the conditions that they pay me $1.00. I was fired and treated very unfairly for no reason except to save money in the company by eliminating the larger salaried people, of which I was one. I was the first listed on the patent as I was the inventor and primary designer. There are two other people listed after me on the patent who helped bring it to the fabrication table. They also have not ever been paid their $1.00 but continue to be employed by this company. Do I have a legal leg to stand on or would all this company have to do now is send me my $1.00 and be done with it? This invention is about 6 years old now. Thanks.

Well, first of all, if this happened 6 years ago, the statute of limitations has run, and the company doesn't have to pay you anything.

But the general rule is, in a breach of contract case, damages are limited to the amount of the breached contract, unless otherwise specified in the contract. So the most you would have gotten was a buck anyway.