Connecticut § 4-61a - Inventions and discoveries by state employees.

§ 4-61a. Inventions and discoveries by state employees.

Sec. 4-61a. Inventions and discoveries by state employees. As used in this section, “invention” means any invention or discovery and is divided into the following categories: (1) Any invention conceived by one state employee solely, or by state employees jointly; (2) any invention conceived by one or more state employees jointly with one or more other persons; (3) any invention conceived by one or more persons not state employees. The state shall be entitled to own, or to participate in the ownership of, and to place in the custody of the state to the extent of such ownership, any invention on the following conditions: (A) The state shall be entitled to own the entire right, title and interest in and to any invention in category (1), in any instance in which such invention is conceived in the course of performance of customary or assigned duties of the employee inventor or inventors, or in which the invention emerges from any research, development or other program of the state, or is conceived or developed wholly or partly at the expense of the state, or with the aid of its equipment, facilities or personnel. In each such instance, the employee inventor shall be deemed to be obligated, by reason of his employment by the state, to disclose his invention fully and promptly to an authorized executive of the state; to assign to the state the entire right, title and interest in and to each invention in category (1); to execute instruments of assignment to that effect; to execute such proper patent applications on such invention as may be requested by an authorized executive of the state, and to give all reasonable aid in the prosecution of such patent applications and the procurement of patents thereon; (B) the state shall have the rights defined in subsection (A) of this section with respect to inventions in category (2), to the extent to which an employee has or employees have disposable interest therein; and to the same extent the employee or employees shall be obligated as defined in said subsection (A); (C) the state shall have no right to inventions in category (3), except as may be otherwise provided in contracts, express or implied, between the state and those entitled to the control of inventions in category (3). This section shall not apply to employees or inventions covered by sections 10a-110 to 10a-110g, inclusive, or section 22-82a.

(1959, P.A. 515; P.A. 10-96, S. 1; P.A. 14-122, S. 65.)

History: P.A. 10-96 exempted employees or inventions covered by Sec. 22-82a; P.A. 14-122 made technical changes.