Who owns an invention related to the company product where one is employed but there is no clear policy when the activity was undertaken?

• A. The Company
• B. The Employee
• C. Joint Ownership
• D. Neither Owns

Answer: (A)

When an invention is created by an employee as part of their duties and it relates to the employer’s business or products, the default rule is that the employer owns it. This is because the work is performed for the company, often using company resources or within the scope of the employee’s job responsibilities, and the invention serves the employer’s interests. If there’s no policy or contract saying otherwise, the company’s ownership is the natural default in this scenario, since the invention is tied to the company product and produced during employment.

You would typically see a different outcome only if there were a specific assignment agreement assigning ownership to the employee, or if the invention was created entirely on personal time and away from the company’s business. The other options wouldn’t fit here because the invention is clearly connected to the employer’s product and the employee’s role within the company.