An invention made during employment raises questions about notification, entitlement, patent protection and remuneration. These issues should be addressed before publication or commercial licensing. We distinguish technical contributions from contractual ownership and coordinate the employment-law and patent-law aspects of the matter.
What we assess
Employment contracts alone do not resolve every statutory obligation. The treatment of an invention, its use, foreign protection and any decision to abandon an application require a documented process. Development involving employees and external contractors also needs a coherent chain of rights.
Four practical examples
Illustrative scenarios, not accounts of client matters. The appropriate response depends on the documents, applicable law and procedural position.
An invention before a trade fair
An engineer wants to present a new technical solution publicly. Internal notification and the status of patent filings are checked first. Publication should be coordinated with the protection strategy so that the company's own disclosure does not jeopardise patentability.
A mixed development team
Employees and an external engineer jointly develop a device. Their contributions and the rights arising from both contractual relationships must be reconciled. A traceable chain of title is needed before the company licenses or sells the technology.
A remuneration dispute
A former employee requests additional inventor remuneration. We examine the use of the invention, relevant economic data and previous accounts. Proper information can support settlement without prematurely accepting a particular calculation method.
Abandoning a patent application
A company wants to stop pursuing protection. Before abandonment or non-payment of fees, duties towards the employee inventor must be reviewed. The decision and any required notices should be documented and coordinated.
Documents that help
Invention reports, employment and development contracts, inventor contributions, patent documents, use and revenue information, and previous remuneration calculations.
From assessment to the next step
We first distinguish established facts from disputed allegations and identify any step needed to preserve rights. The legal route is then assessed against the commercial objective, available evidence and potential cost. Where technical or foreign-law input is required, responsibilities are coordinated before further work is commissioned. Negotiation, formal proceedings and practical implementation are considered together; a favourable legal position still needs a workable route to the intended result.
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Discuss your matter
Tell us the parties involved, your objective and any deadlines. Our main office is in Hanover, Lower Saxony. We advise on German-law matters nationwide and coordinate cross-border work with locally qualified counsel where required.
Send an enquiry — all fields optional · +49 511 3573560
We check conflicts and agree the scope and fees before accepting instructions. An enquiry alone does not create an engagement or preserve a deadline.