I discussed these concerns with them and they were happy to let me retain the rights to my work as long as it was outside work hours etc and I gave them a chance to obtain the IP for the invention/idea by way of a contract/profit share agreement if they liked it and wanted to participate in it's development.
However there is nothing about what we discussed in my employment contract and I'm a little worried about the implications of what they have written in this section on Intellectual Property and copyrights. It looks like I sign over pretty much every intellectual property I own now or will own.
Could someone help me understand what all this means?
"Intellectual property" means all interest and title in and rights to improvements, inventions, processes, systems, designs, production practices, software code, patents, copyrights, trademarks, design rights, technical information and know-how devised, written, made, suggested or found by you at any time whether or not prior to the date of this agreement and whether solely or jointly and whether or not relating to the business or operations of MYCOMPANY from time to time or any work done by you for MYCOMPANY.
You now assign (subject to s.40 of the Patents Act 1977) to MYCOMPANY all and any interest, title and rights you have or may have in the intellectual property and shall promptly provide such information and assistance (without charge to but at the expense of MYCOMPANY) to obtain, maintain and enforce protection for the intellectual property anywhere in the world including executing any documents necessary to vest in MYCOMPANY all and any rights and title to the intellectual property which it is now agreed shall be and remain the property of MYCOMPANY.
You now assign with full title guarantee all present and future copyright in all your rights, title and interest in and to all material written, created or devised by you relating to the business or operations of MYCOMPANY from time to time or any work done by you for MYCOMPANY and all rights of action for damages for infringement of such copyright.
You now irrevocably and unconditionally waive any and all moral rights under the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988 in and to any material above.
You now appoint MYCOMPANY as your attorney to act in your name and on your behalf to execute all deeds and documents as may be required above.
The Employee agrees:
to give the Employer full written details of all Employment Inventions which relate to or are capable of being used in the business of the Employer promptly on their creation;
at the Employer's request and in any event on the termination of his employment to give to the Employer all originals and copies of correspondence, documents, papers and records on all media which record or relate to any of the Employment IPRs;
to maintain confidentiality of all internal business communication;
not to develop (further), release or sell (or any other use) any ideas, codes, concepts or any other IPR;
not to attempt to register any Employment IPR nor patent any Employment Invention unless requested to do so by the Employer; and
to keep confidential each Employment Invention unless the Employer has consented in writing to its disclosure by the Employee.
