<div dir="ltr"><div>I acknowledge all the issues Carl and Suzannah raise, but I don't think that throwing up hands in despair is a terribly helpful approach to actually representing a client.</div><div><br></div><div>In particular, the nettle must be grasped when I've got non-U.S. inventors on a U.S. application. Two reasons: (a) U.S. formalities, and (b) the thing none of us know -- when does the law of country x <b>not</b> assign to our client by operation of law? When are there facts or law that I don't know about such that an assignment is required in country x?
Once a document solves those two problems, as a lawyer with a client to represent, I have to assume that my document solves the other problems.</div><div><br></div><div>I have an assignment that does the best I can do with my limited licensure and limited knowledge. I've had it reviewed by local counsel in the U.K., Germany, Japan, Korea, and India (I had them write some of the language, so I'm not practicing foreign law). The reps and warranties are limited -- "I haven't assigned this particular Brooklyn Bridge before", but not "I own the Brooklyn Bridge" or "This assignment conveys good title." I get the inventor(s) to sign it, and I record it in the U.S. If this application changed hands at any time in its first 30 months, I include it in the PCT file history (else I let the U.S. chain of assignment do the work, since, as mentioned above, in all likelihood, initial ownership vested in the employer anyway).<br></div><div><br></div><div>If it assigns rights that the inventor doesn't currently own to assign, or assigns future inventions in a country that doesn't allow assignment of future inventions, what of it. Severability clause. No harm no foul.</div><div><br></div><div>David<br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Aug 21, 2024 at 7:18\u202fAM Suzannah K. Sundby via Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg-405573252877164244">
<div style="overflow-wrap: break-word;" lang="EN-US">
<div class="m_-405573252877164244WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">I do a US only assignment for foreign inbound cases*, which my foreign clients/associates understand (because I told them) that while their country
of origin may have its own ownership laws which apply, the assignment for the US is needed for the USPTO to accept a Power of Attorney.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Note, not all foreign countries require an assignment for a company to be the owner/applicant.<span>
</span>For example, in some countries an employer automatically owns what their full-time employee invented during the scope of employment.<span>
</span>Thus a confirmatory assignment is meaningless because there was no assignment to confirm.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Imo, using US only assignment is best because one cannot assign what one does not own at the time.<span>
</span>That is, if already assigned or already owned by the owner/applicant, then no harm, no foul\u2026 it\u2019s just for POA purposes.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">*Except for the rare few US
<span class="m_-405573252877164244SpellE">provisionals</span> that are foreign inbound\u2026 for these I tell them the necessity of an assignment and counter-signature requirements for, e.g., UK, and needing to record the assignment before claiming the benefit of the provisional.<span>
</span>And I leave it to them whether they want my US-based world-wide assignment or their own, etc. after telling them I am only competent as US laws and US-origin inventions.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/ssundby/" target="_blank"><span style="color:black;text-decoration:none">Suzannah
K. Sundby</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">
<b><span style="color:rgb(0,0,204)">|</span></b> Partner<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,204)"><a href="http://www.canadylortz.com/" target="_blank"><u><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,204);text-decoration:none">canady
+ lortz</span></u><u><span style="font-size:8pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,204);text-decoration:none">
<span style="font-variant:small-caps">LLP</span></span></u></a></span><span style="font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,204)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4pt"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">T: 202.486.8020<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif">F: 202.540.8020<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:4pt"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,204)"><a href="mailto:suzannah@canadylortz.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,204);text-decoration:none">suzannah@canadylortz.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:"Century Gothic",sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,204)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Katherine Koenig via Patentpractice<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, August 20, 2024 9:52 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com</a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Katherine Koenig <<a href="mailto:katherine@koenigipworks.com" target="_blank">katherine@koenigipworks.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Patentpractice] Assignment of US National Phase of foreign-origin PCT<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi everyone, <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A FA has asked me to file the US National Phase application of a PCT application (RO/GB, with two GB priority applications). They\u2019ve also asked me to send an Assignment of the US application for signature.
<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My brain is hanging up on this for some reason \u2013 does it make sense (would it be unauthorized practice) for me to send them a US assignment of a US patent application, if the applicant and inventor are both in the UK? Would the contract
be governed by UK law, and therefore I couldn\u2019t prepare it for them? I\u2019ve asked the FA for a copy of any assignment that\u2019s already been made, but I\u2019ve so far only received the request to prepare one for the US. If they\u2019re unable to send me prior assignment(s),
would a better approach be to prepare a confirmatory assignment (but what if I don\u2019t know the terms of prior assignment(s))? <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Best regards,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Katherine<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Dr. Katherine Koenig<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Registered Patent Attorney<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Koenig IP Works, PLLC<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black">(954) 903-1699<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Corbel",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:katherine@koenigipworks.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">katherine@koenigipworks.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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