Intellectual Property Ownership

Employee Inventions Ownership

If an individual invents something while they are working for someone else (i.e. their employer), the ownership of the product or intellectual property will depend on the capacity in which the individual was employed. If an individual created the work on their own, in a way completely unrelated and unconnected to their job function, the individual owns the intellectual property.

Licensing Agents

A licensing agent is a patent agent that is licensed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) to assist individuals in all areas of the patent application process. Licensed patent agents in specific jurisdictions can be found at http://www.uspto.gov/. A licensed patent agent can assist with the application process but cannot represent an individual in court, should the need arise.

Soliciting Potential Licenses

A Licensee is an individual or firm that obtains that license to manufacture or distribute, or otherwise profit from, the use of a product that is owned by the licensor. Generally, the licensor owns a patent and the licensee is paying for the right to use that product to generate a profit. Licensors (i.e. patent owners / inventors) have the potential to make a great deal of money by profiting from the sales of a licensee.