WebSitesOfNote

Some months ago, one of our R&D people had made an off-the-cuff suggestion to a supplier, providing an edge-of-napkin sketch for a new product idea. This idea had little, if anything, to do with us. The supplier, to everyone's surprise, followed up on the suggestion and developed a patented and what appears to be high potential product. And, as it happens, the supplier included our lab rat’s name in the patent. The question asked by our top lawyer, Rigor Mortis, is whether or not the employee has rights to the patent or do these rights, by virtue of a signed employment contract, transfer to the company.