<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">A little recognized, but added benefit, of including the automatic assignment language (\u201cagrees to and does hereby grant and assign\u201d) in an agreement, is that it may entitle the grantee to the Right of Priority. As I note in section "III.B.1.f The Equitable Owner is the 'successor in title,' Enjoying the ROP in," in "Avoiding Failed Patent Application Filings" Rick Neifeld, November 1, 2020. <div><br></div><div><br><div> </div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Dec 3, 2024 at 1:02\u202fPM David Boundy 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 dir="ltr"><div>I agree emphatically with Patent Lawyer.</div><div><br></div><div>I disagree on a technicality with Richard -- there are a few Federal Circuit cases that approve advance assignments. But I like Richard's language a lot, because is just sidesteps a fight. It's one of those fights that even if your client wins, you lose.<br></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Tue, Dec 3, 2024 at 11:52\u202fAM Richard Straussman via Patentpractice <<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank">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"><u></u>
<div>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">I agree that one cannot
assign that which does not yet exist, so I have used "I agree to
assign and hereby automatically assign immediately upon creation
and without the need for any further action by me and warrant that
I will reasonably cooperate with Employer and execute any and all
documents (at no cost to me) necessary to evidence or memorialize
same" to cover the possibility that the person may later refuse to
sign an assignment for a patent application.<br>
<br>
</font>
<div>
<span><strong>Richard Straussman</strong></span><span><span><strong><br>
</strong></span> </span><strong><span>Senior
Counsel</span><span><strong><br>
</strong></span> <span>Registered Patent Attorney</span><span><br>
</span></strong> <span>Member NY, NJ & CT Bars</span><span><br>
</span> <span><strong>. . . . . . . . . . . . . .</strong></span>
<span></span> <span><br>
</span> <span><strong>Weitzman Law Offices, LLC</strong></span><span><span><br>
</span> <span><strong>Intellectual Property Law</strong></span><span><br>
</span> <span>425 Eagle Rock Avenue, Suite 401</span><span><br>
</span> <span>Roseland, NJ 07068</span><span><br>
</span> <span><strong>direct line</strong></span> <span>973.403.9943<br>
</span> <span><strong>main</strong></span> <span>973.403.9940<br>
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</span> <span><strong>e-mail</strong></span><span></span> <span><a href="mailto:rstraussman@weitzmanip.com" target="_blank">rstraussman@weitzmanip.com</a></span><span><br>
<br>
</span> <span><strong><a href="http://www.weitzmanip.com/" target="_blank">http://www.weitzmanip.com</a><br>
</strong></span> <span><br>
</span><br>
<br>
<br>
</span>
</div>
<div>On 12/3/2024 11:42 AM, Patent Lawyer
via Patentpractice wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I
think that an employee agreement should include an
obligation to sign documents in the future, including any
required to perfect intellectual property rights.</span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">BUT,
I they cannot pre-sign a declaration.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Look
at
<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/37/1.63" target="_blank">37 CFR 1.63</a> (assuming you file
the declaration with an application data sheet \u2013 ADS).<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under
1.63(2), you cannot identify the application until it has
been prepared ("attached hereto") or filed.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Under
1.63(3) you cannot say anything about the "claimed
invention" if there are no claims.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">And,
even if you finesse those two requirements,
<u>1.63(c) will get you</u>. The inventor cannot sign a
declaration until the application exists, otherwise how can
they swear that they have "<b><i><u>reviewed and understands
the contents of the application, including the claims</u></i></b>,\u201d
as required by 1.63(c).<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">I often
wonder how anyone can pre-assign non-existing inventions (\u201c<i>I
agree to assign and
<u>do hereby assign</u> \u2026. [a not yet existing invention</i>].\u201d
But you can\u2019t do the same for declarations (you can\u2019t have
the \u201cdo hereby swear \u2026\u201d for a declaration for something that
does not yet exist). Others will chime in here, I\u2019m sure.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<div style="border-width:1pt medium medium;border-style:solid none none;border-color:rgb(181,196,223) currentcolor currentcolor;padding:3pt 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:black">Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank"><patentpractice-bounces@oppedahl-lists.com></a> on
behalf of Patentpractice Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank"><patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Reply-To: </b>Patentpractice Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank"><patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Date: </b>Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11:18 AM<br>
<b>To: </b>Patentpractice Patentpractice
<a href="mailto:patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com" target="_blank"><patentpractice@oppedahl-lists.com></a><br>
<b>Cc: </b>"Allen Richter (<a href="mailto:allenr@richterpatent.com" target="_blank">allenr@richterpatent.com</a>)"
<a href="mailto:allenr@richterpatent.com" target="_blank"><allenr@richterpatent.com></a><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Patentpractice] "advance" Inventor
Declaration in Employment Contracts<u></u><u></u></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<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-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">Dear
all,
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">Employees
sometimes refuse to sign assignments, in which case an
employment contract stating that all future inventions are
hereby assigned to the employer, may be of help.
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">In rare
cases inventors refuse to sign inventor declarations. Would
it make sense/ eventually be helpful to have \u201cadvance
Inventor Declaration\u201d clause in an employment contract?
<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)">Allen<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(64,64,64)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(68,84,106)">European, Swiss &
Israeli Patent Attorney</span><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(0,32,96)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9pt;color:black">RICHTER
SHIMONI PATENT ATTORNEYS<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(0,112,192)"><a href="http://www.richterpatent.com" target="_blank">www.richterpatent.com</a></span></u><span style="font-size:9pt;color:rgb(68,84,106)"><br>
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<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8pt;color:rgb(0,32,96)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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