Employee Invention Laws by Country: Four Answers.

The US: protections with conditions attached.

In the US it depends on your state. California Labor Code 2870 says an assignment clause doesn't apply to work made entirely on your own time. However, you must also avoid the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities or trade secrets. New York has section 203-f, and Minnesota, Utah, Kansas, Delaware and Illinois have versions too. Miss one condition and the protection is gone, and Texas has no such statute.

Employee Invention Laws by Country in Europe and Mexico.

In the UK, section 39 of the Patents Act 1977 asks only about normal duties. In 2007, in Liffe Administration and Management against Pinkava, an employee built something at home. He used his own time and equipment, but the employer still won because the work fell inside his job.

Germany's Employee Invention Act requires you to report a service invention promptly. Then the employer has four months to claim it, and you are also entitled to compensation. Mexico's Federal Labour Law, Article 163, starts with the inventor owning it, unless the employer commissioned the work.

Non-Competes and the Three Things to Check.

Also, the reach of a non compete clause side business owners signed varies widely. In the US, a court blocked the federal ban in 2024, so it is state by state. Britain presumes them unlawful. However, Germany enforces one for up to two years if the employer pays at least half your salary. Finally, check three things: duties versus everything, any own-time carve-out, and any outside work rule.