Marketing and Innovation

A is the head of the marketing department and discusses a completely new product based on a new invention with B, a developer. Such products are easy to implement, but had not yet been used in the company. The product becomes a great success, partly due to the monopoly effect of the patent granted on the invention. Sales amount to EUR 100 million, partly due to A's marketing skills.

Question: How would you determine the inventor's remuneration for A and B?

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Lump-sum

As an employee inventor, A receives remuneration of EUR 5,000 from his employer U. After some time, it turns out that the sales generated by U as the employer exceed EUR 500 million. Appropriate remuneration would amount to EUR 150,000. U takes the view that, following A's agreement to lump-sum remuneration, no further payments are due.

Question: Can A still receive money?

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Former Employee

Five years after leaving the company, an employee inventor believes that he is receiving far too little (no) employee inventor remuneration. However, he suspects that his former employer is generating very high sales but is still not paying any remuneration.

Question: Can the employee inventor receive money?

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Not an Employee's Invention?

During a legal dispute between an employee and employer, the employer questions whether the invention is even a employee's invention. If it is not a employee's invention, the employee would not be entitled to any money.

Question: Is this a good idea?

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An Intern's invention

An intern and the group leader jointly come up with a brilliant idea that ultimately leads to a employee's invention.

Question: What steps need to be taken to calculate the remuneration for the co-inventors?

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