Q: Who owns intellectual property created by employees?
A: It is widely assumed that when someone is hired to create a work product, intellectual property rights will be owned by the hiring party.
However, that is not always the case. If there is a written agreement, the details of intellectual property ownership are often spelled out.
Written agreements addressing intellectual property ownership are common, particularly where the employee is hired in a creative capacity. Sometimes, such agreements will take the form of an intellectual property assignment agreement.
In other cases, there may be provisions governing intellectual property ownership within a larger employment agreement.
To read my full article that was published in the Union Leader, please click here.
Intellectual Property Resource 