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>>I'm curious: In confidentiality contracts, there are usually statements
>>about copyrights and inventions, requiring the employee to disclose all
>>of their rights to inventions to the company. Sometimes the company
>>wants you to assign your rights to them for past inventions, and any
>>inventions during employment and usually for some period after
>>employment. There is usually some terminology referring to "inventions
>>which relate in any way to the present or prospect fields of interest of
>>said company" or the like.
I have questions about the above. If I am hired by a company, and five
years ago I developed and patented something, why should I be required to
transfer rights to the new company? I do not think this is right or
enforceable.
Personally, I have seen two such documents and there was nothing stated
about past inventions.