Intellectual Property (IP) Transfer Agreement (Germany) by Seedsummit
This document outlines the transfer of intellectual property rights and the grant of usage rights from an Originator (who can be an employee or freelancer) to a Company. It covers various types of IP, including copyrights, trademarks, and patents, ensuring the Company acquires broad rights to work results created by the Originator. The agreement also addresses moral rights, open-source software exceptions, and inventions under German law.
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Transfer of Intellectual Property Rights and Grant of Usage Rights
between
[o]
- hereinafter referred to as “Company” -
and
[o]
- hereinafter also referred to as “Originator”
Definitions
If the terms defined below are used in this Agreement, they shall have the meaning stated below for purposes of this Agreement:
“Parties”: means the Company and the Originator together.
“Work Results": includes all work results, creations, inventions, findings, works, and other protectable performance results in the broadest sense, in the creation of which the Originator was, is, or will be involved at least partially in connection with his employment or freelance agreement as defined below with the Company.
“Intellectual Property Rights”: means all registered or unregistered, filed or not (yet) filed intellectual property rights and commercial proprietary rights, in particular (without limitation) (A) all copyrights and related rights (ancillary copyrights), including but not limited to all rights to (i) literary works, (ii) pictorial works and motion pictures, (iii) scientific and technical drawings, (iv) computer programs and computer software, including any form of source code, object code and any other form of code as well as any algorithms underlying the code and any documentation, and (v) databases; (B) German, European and foreign trademarks and trademark applications; (C) German, European and foreign patents and patent applications, utility models and semiconductor topographies; (D) German design rights and Community design rights; (E) protected business and trade secrets and know how.
Preamble
The Originator [is employed at the company/is an independent service provider (as a so-called Freelancer)]. Insofar, the Parties have a corresponding contractual relationship with each other [, particularly based on the agreement dated [● date ●]].
Based on this contractual relationship, the Originator provides services to the Company. Work Results may be the result of these services.
With this Agreement any Intellectual Property Rights of the Originator in respect to all previous, current, and future Work Results, particularly, without limitation, any copyrights, are transferred to the Company to the broadest extent permitted by law.
[This applies in particular, but not exclusively, to the following previously created Work Results]
- [●]
Transfer of rights
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