- Dr. Joseph Grocela is an MGH urologist who moonlights as an inventor of medical devices.
- And yet a judge today ruled that MGH�s parent company Partner Healthcare owns all his IP � even from work done in his own home
- The judge argued that 1) he could always have chosen to work somewhere without such requirements, and 2) he benefits significantly from the clinical resources at MGH, a factor that enables his ability to invent.
- Someone tinkering on a medical device may or may not do so with a big financial payout in mind, but one thing that will certainly make them less likely to build new things is the knowledge that someone else will swoop in and steal it from them for a profit.
- Just think of how many great companies started out as side projects.
20120805A1_WeOwnYourBrainDoctorMoonlightsBostInno
7 comments
Skip to comment form
Who want to invent under such rule? Law should be more fair to inventor in order to encourage invention.
This is the current system that we are in. If the employee invent something related to his employer, then employer can claim his invention. So if an employee got an invention related to the company, they need to think carefully before patenting for it.
If employee can strike a deal with the employer that benefit both parties, it would be good. But most company in Singapore don’t have a culture and system of encouraging and rewarding new invention in workplace. So, if I am the employee with a great idea, I would be apprehensive to bring it to the employer and expect some kind of reasonable reward.
I do not think bring to the employer is a good idea without a sound law in the first place since after the employer squeezed you idea out they can use the same reason, “we own your brain”, to reject your request of any reward or just give you a sweet.
“we own your brain” is a loss loss concept that kill innovative employees and the company get nothing as well. Government should step in to set a new law that beneficial to both at least if they think innovation should be the direction of Singapore’s future.
Previously, I worked for a multi national (America) company. I had an idea to improve the company product that I think will hit competitors product hard at that time. So I checked to see if they have a reward system for employee innovation.
The good news is they have. Employee can submit idea to a innovation department where they will evaluate and patent the idea if valuable. Every idea they patented come with a monetary reward to employee. Not too much, but it was a start.
The bad news is that this system is valid for employee working in America only. Employee like me working in Singapore are not entitled to this system.
Now after the penalty period you can patent your idea and sell it to your previous company or competitor. They can’t own your brain!!
But sell back to your previous company is more risky as they may still try to claim your brain.