Find out who owns what you create under your contract
An IP assignment clause transfers to the employer the rights in work you create, usually anything made in the course of the job and sometimes anything related to the employer's business, whenever and wherever it was made. Ask Search+ what the clause covers, whether earlier inventions or side projects are carved out, and what you must do to help the employer register rights, then read the cited wording.
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Last updated October 2026
How to check an IP assignment clause with Search+
- Upload the contract and any invention schedule
Add the contract and any separate invention assignment agreement or schedule of prior inventions. Some employers put IP terms in a standalone agreement.
- Ask about scope in three parts
Ask what kinds of work are covered, whether work done outside hours or with your own equipment is included, and whether it extends to anything related to the business.
- Ask about carve-outs and duties
Ask whether prior inventions are excluded, whether a list is required, and what cooperation the clause asks of you. Open the citations to read each condition.
Questions about IP assignment
Does the IP clause cover everything I create during employment, or only work done as part of my job?
Would a project I build at weekends on my own laptop be assigned to the employer under this wording?
Does the contract exclude inventions I made before joining, and do I need to list them?
Does the contract ask me to waive moral rights or rights to be named as author?
Do any IP obligations continue after the employment ends, such as signing documents?
What to look for in an IP assignment clause
"Created in the course of employment" is narrower than "relating to the Company's business". The second can reach work done in your own time.
Phrases like "hereby assigns" transfer rights as soon as the work exists, while "agrees to assign" promises a future transfer. The difference can matter later.
Many agreements ask you to list inventions you already own. If you leave the schedule blank, check what the clause says about unlisted work.
Some places limit how far an employer can claim inventions made on your own time without its resources. Those rules differ by jurisdiction.
Search+ cites the clause it relies on, so the exact verbs and qualifiers are in front of you rather than paraphrased.
IP assignment wording and what it signals
| Wording you may see | What it usually signals | A follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| "hereby assigns" | Rights transfer immediately | Does it cover work created before signing? |
| "in the course of employment" | A narrower scope | How does the contract define course of employment? |
| "relating to the business of the Company" | A broader scope | Does it reach work done outside hours? |
| "Prior Inventions" | A carve-out for existing work | Is a list required, and where is it? |
| "waives all moral rights" | Waiver of authorship rights | Does it apply to all work or only some? |
| "execute all documents" | A duty to help register rights | Does that duty continue after I leave? |
What is an IP assignment clause?
An IP assignment clause is the part of an employment contract that transfers to the employer the intellectual property rights in work, inventions and materials the employee creates, within the scope the clause defines.
Questions about IP assignment
Can Search+ tell me if my side project is covered?
Can it find a separate invention assignment agreement's terms?
Will it tell me whether prior inventions are excluded?
Can it compare IP clauses in two offers?
Is this legal advice about ownership?
Know what you are signing away before you build
Start a workspace, upload the contract, and ask what its IP clause covers.
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