Re: [PIUG List] Incentives for employee inventors

Chris:

I cannot address UK incentives but I can tell you that the larger clients I
do patent work for typically provide incentives in the following stages:

1. Acceptance of Invention for filing.
2. Filing of Patent Application (optional)
3. Issuing of Patent

For step 1 it is typically in the range of US$1K to US$2K
For step 3 it may include more money than step 1 in addition to a plaque of
the front page of the issued patent and an invitation to a yearly inventors
banquet. In the RIM buildings around Waterloo you will see these plaques in
cubicles as well as mounted in the entranceway. IBM used to do the same
thing, I am unsure if they still follow that policy.

In the case of IBM U.S. they yearly select a group of the inventions that
generated the most revenue and pay the inventors of those a bonus based on
the revenue.

The system can be abused, I have spoken to inventors who complain that the
person down the cube farm spends more time submitting invention ideas to get
the bonus than doing work they were assigned as it can be very lucrative.

The best systems I have seen comprise a web based invention submission form
that includes all the relevant details which are reviewed by a patent review
board of senior engineers monthly or perhaps even every two weeks. If you
want I would be happy to send you a submission form as a WORD document that
I have developed over the years.

mark
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Torrero" <chris_at_torrero.demon.co.uk>
To: "PIUG Discussion List @ Listbox" <piug_discussion_list_at_v2.listbox.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 5:24 PM
Subject: [PIUG List] Incentives for employee inventors


>
> I have been asked by my employer to research the issue of incentives and
> rewards paid by companies to their employee inventors. I am aware of the
> little used sections 39-43 of the Patents Act 1977 (as amended). I have
> also found much discussion of the German statutory provisions.
>
> What I would like to find are examples of schemes operated by UK companies
> to provide incentives/rewards to their employee inventors. What kind of
> rewards are paid and at what stage(s) of the process.
>
> If any readers could give outline details of schemes with which they are
> familiar, I would be very grateful
>
> Regards
>
> Chris Torrero
> Information Officer
> LGC Limited
> 020 8943 8483
> --
> Chris Torrero
>

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Received on Fri Jan 11 2008 - 00:03:10