Patent Assignment Agreement

[14-O]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

I already have several patents awarded and several more pending in my current job. I've worked for 3 other employers and each one of them had me sign a patent assignment agreement the day I started work. My current employer did not do this, but his patent attorney has me sign an assignment for each one when he sends the application to the patent office. Here's my question. What's the difference? Is it better to have an employee sign and overall assignment agreement when he's hired or to sign individual agreements as applications are sent? Is my employer better protected one way than the other?

 

[divgradcurl]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

I already have several patents awarded and several more pending in my current job. I've worked for 3 other employers and each one of them had me sign a patent assignment agreement the day I started work. My current employer did not do this, but his patent attorney has me sign an assignment for each one when he sends the application to the patent office. Here's my question. What's the difference? Is it better to have an employee sign and overall assignment agreement when he's hired or to sign individual agreements as applications are sent? Is my employer better protected one way than the other?

Having the employee sign up front I guess ensures that the employee is on notice that the employer intends to assert ownership of anything the employee invents while on the job. Of course, any inventions created during the term of employment and within the scope of employment belong to the employer anyway, so it probably doesn't provide any significant extra protections, but maybe reduces the number of questions later.