Guys, I break my vow of internet celibacy today to ask you a very important question.
Some of you may remember, a year or so ago I designed a cable conductor monitoring device here at the Wire & cable making plant where I work. The device monitors the conductors for continuity & leakage/shorts to machine chasis. I installed it in an existing cable armoring machine we have, and it shuts down the machine in the event of damage to the conductors. It has been very successful. I never thought to inquire about a patent or anything because I figured it was and always would be a one-off, in house job that nobody would be interested in copying or buying or patenting.
Today a man came to me and asked how it works and I explained it to him in general terms, nothing specific; he asked me to email him the schematic for it, with parts list and a detailed explanation of how it works. The man used to work here as a regular employee for 30+ years and then he retired. He now serves the company as a "Cable Design Consultant". He "works" here; he has an office here and a company email address & telephone number, but I believe he is a one man operation. He facilitates deals between my company and other companies.
My company is ordering several new cable armoring machines, and they want devices like mine integrated into them. They want the devices to come pre-installed in the machine from the manufacturer, and not an afterthough add-on like mine. That is why the consultant is asking for my design. He wants to send it to the manufacturer of the armoring machines so that they have some place to start; some idea how the device should operate. They may or may not exactly copy my design - I do not know. I also do not know if this armoring machine company may or may not use my design on machines that they build for other clients in the wire & cable business.
I, like just about anybody, signed a paper when I started here saying that anything I invent while working here, and for some period after I leave, is intellectual property of the company. So I understand that legally my design already belongs to them, but I also know that the engineers that work here get their names on the patents for things that they invent. I believe they may also get bonuses for their inventions. So, What I want to know, is if I should just hand over the design no questions asked, or if I have a right to make some kind of request for compensation and/or a patent contingent on my release of the design.
Thanks
Some of you may remember, a year or so ago I designed a cable conductor monitoring device here at the Wire & cable making plant where I work. The device monitors the conductors for continuity & leakage/shorts to machine chasis. I installed it in an existing cable armoring machine we have, and it shuts down the machine in the event of damage to the conductors. It has been very successful. I never thought to inquire about a patent or anything because I figured it was and always would be a one-off, in house job that nobody would be interested in copying or buying or patenting.
Today a man came to me and asked how it works and I explained it to him in general terms, nothing specific; he asked me to email him the schematic for it, with parts list and a detailed explanation of how it works. The man used to work here as a regular employee for 30+ years and then he retired. He now serves the company as a "Cable Design Consultant". He "works" here; he has an office here and a company email address & telephone number, but I believe he is a one man operation. He facilitates deals between my company and other companies.
My company is ordering several new cable armoring machines, and they want devices like mine integrated into them. They want the devices to come pre-installed in the machine from the manufacturer, and not an afterthough add-on like mine. That is why the consultant is asking for my design. He wants to send it to the manufacturer of the armoring machines so that they have some place to start; some idea how the device should operate. They may or may not exactly copy my design - I do not know. I also do not know if this armoring machine company may or may not use my design on machines that they build for other clients in the wire & cable business.
I, like just about anybody, signed a paper when I started here saying that anything I invent while working here, and for some period after I leave, is intellectual property of the company. So I understand that legally my design already belongs to them, but I also know that the engineers that work here get their names on the patents for things that they invent. I believe they may also get bonuses for their inventions. So, What I want to know, is if I should just hand over the design no questions asked, or if I have a right to make some kind of request for compensation and/or a patent contingent on my release of the design.
Thanks