QUESTION

Assignment of Inventions Clause

Asked on Nov 12th, 2015 on Employment Contracts - California
More details to this question:
I've been hired for data annotation work at a tech company, done remotely on my own PC. The employment contract has an "Assignment of Inventions" clause and subclause that seem a little too broad. I work creatively on my own ideas that are somewhat related to the company's scope of work. I'm worried the clauses might allow claim over my other ventures. Here's one clause: "I agree that I will promptly make full written disclosure to COMPANY, will hold in trust for the sole right and benefit of COMPANY, and hereby assign to COMPANY, or its designee, all my right title and interest throughout the world in and to any and all inventions, original works of authorship, developments, concepts, know-how, improvements or trade secrets, whether or not patentable or registrable under copyright or similar laws, which I may solely or jointly conceive or develop or reduce to practice, or cause to be conceived or developed or reduced to practice, during the period of my Relationship with the Company"
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1 ANSWER

Probate Litigation Attorney serving Anaheim, CA
2 Awards
The clause you described is certainly quite broad and would likely result in this company having a claim to any intellectual property that you create during the term of the agreement.  Are you actually an employee or just a contractor?Typically, even with employees there are carveouts in these types of clauses that protect you when you create something totally independently (i.e. not on employer's time or using resources from employer) of your employment.   Let me know if you would like to discuss this. Thanks, Jon
Answered on Nov 16th, 2015 at 11:27 AM

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