WebCredenza 2025 Ownership of ideas on the job

Ownership of “ideas” – tangible inventions, “know-how” or processes, or other tangible or intangible property – is often an area of substantial dispute between the creator/inventor and his or her employer.  Though it seems axiomatic that the creator owns the invention, if the invention – often very valuable property – is created on the job or using employer resources, the employer has a substantial claim to ownership. Indeed, the employee may have been hired for the purpose of creating intellectual property essential to the employer’s success. Putting in place policies and procedures to ensure employers have clear title to this type of property is essential to avoid protracted, costly, and potentially ruinous litigation. This program will provide you with a practical guide to ownership of intellectual property created on the job. 

• Ownership of ideas, information, know-how and other property created on the job by employees.
• Impact of scope of an employee’s duties on ownership of property created on the job.
• Role of adequate compensation in protecting employer property.
• How some property created on the job is an employee’s – not the employer’s – even if in scope of duties.
• Essential agreements, policies, and practices to preserve employer property.
• What to do if asset ownership of property is created on the job.

Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.