mikio@fluke.UUCP (02/17/84)
I presented a paper on the topic of employed inventor's rights at Midcon/83
which covers most of the questions I have seen on the net. If you wish to
obtain copies of the paper, they may be obtained for $5 as part of Session
Record 5 from:
Electronic Conventions, Inc.
8110 Airport Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
I will be presenting a more detailed version with annotations at the
Georgia Tech Research Institute Computer Law Seminar on March 2. If
you can wait, you can send me your name and address at my address
below and I will forward your request to GTRI:
Mikio Ishimaru
Corporate Patent Counsel
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
P.O.Box C9090 M/S 203A
Everett, WA 98206
As a brief overview, employee agreements are enforceable but they can not
prevent you from using general knowledge and skill learned on the job.
The enforceability of non-competition varies from state to state. The
agreements are negotiable up front when you are being hired. You can
request that the company acknowledge their lack of interest in an
invention you made from them or that one of your inventions is completely
yours and that will allow you to pursue them (and profit from them) on
your own without the fear that they will retract when you get rich.