Act No 72/2004 respecting Employees´ Inventions.
IVR04010066
TRANSLATED FROM THE ICELANDIC
ACT
No. 72/2004
respecting Employees’ Inventions
CHAPTER I
General Provisions
Art.1
Definitions
The word "invention" denotes in the present Act merely an invention for which a Patent may be obtained in this Country.
The word "employee" denotes any person who is engaged in service with the authorities or a private party.
Art. 2
Deviation Act
The provisions of the present Act may be deviated from by means of agreements, unless there be unequivocal alternative stipulations in the present Act.
CHAPTER II
Employee’s and Employer’s Legal Status
Art. 3
Employee’s right to an invention
An employee is entitled to an invention which he presents to the extent that an alternative arrangement does not result from the present Act or other Laws.
Art. 4
Conveyance of right to employer
In case an employee has presented an invention being within the scope of his work an employer may require conveyance of the right covering the invention to himself, provided that utilization thereof be within the employer’s field of work. The employer holds the same right although the utilization of the invention be not within his field of work if the employee’s invention is linked to a specific task with which the employer has charged him.
The provisions of para. 1 also apply if more than a single employee, engaged for service with the employer, jointly submit an invention.
Art. 5
Notification of invention
In case an employee has presented an invention in accordance with Art. 4 he shall without undue delay give the employer notice in a verifiable manner of the invention, thus granting information about it so that the employer can assess the importance thereof.
Art. 6
Employer’s time to act, confidentiality and patent application
In case an employer desire to acquire the right to an invention in accordance with Art. 4 he shall advise the employee accordingly within three months of the receipt of notification as per Art. 5.
Prior to the respite expiring an employee is not permitted, cf. however para. 3, without the employer’s approval in writing, to advise others about the invention or dispose of it to the effect that it be possible to publish information on the invention or use it for the benefit of others. This does not apply, however, if the employer has declared in writing that he be not interested in the invention.
Prior to the end of the respite and after having satisfied his duty to give notice as per Art. 5 the employee may apply for a Patent in respect of the invention, but he shall, however, previously advise the employer thereof. The employee cannot in advance relinquish his right to apply for a Patent, unless the provisions of Art. 3 and 4 have been deviated from by means of an agreement between the employer and an employee who is engaged to present inventions.
Art. 7
Fair remuneration
In case an employer acquires the right to an employee’s invention under Art. 4 or on another basis the employee is entitled to fair remuneration, even though another arrangement has been negotiated, unless the value of the invention does not exceed that which may reasonably be expected of the employee to effect having regard for his overall terms.
Upon determining the remuneration special regard shall be had for the value of the invention and its importance for the employer’s activities, the employee’s terms of engagement and the employee’s contribution to the invention. If the employee is engaged to present inventions it may be negotiated that a fair remuneration for an invention be included solely in the employee’s terms of engagement.
A claim for remuneration lapses in ten years. The respite for obsolescence is counted as of the time the employer has indicated that he wish to acquire the invention. In other respects there apply the provisions of the Act respecting the Obsolescence of Indebtedness and Other Rights of Claim, as applicable.
Although an alternative arrangement has been negotiated agreements on remuneration may be amended upon the requirement of either party at a later stage when the circumstances having formed the basis have been altered to a considerable extent or other special circumstances recommend this. On the basis of the 1st sentence there shall, however, never be refunded moneys which an employee has accepted in accordance with a previous determination on remuneration.
Art. 8
End of service
An invention to which Art. 4 extends is deemed to have originated during a term of service if a Patent for it is applied for within six months as of the actual end of service, unless it may be considered likely that the invention has originated after the actual end of service.
Any accord between an employer and an employee limiting the employee’s right to arrange for the inventions which originate over a year after formal end of service is null and void.
CHAPTER III
Entry into Force
Art. 9
Entry into Force
The present Act enters into force on 1 January 2005. The Act applies solely to inventions which are presented following upon the entry into force of the Act. Invariable provisions of the Act shall apply vis-à-vis agreements concluded prior to the entry into force of the Act concerning inventions presented following upon the entry into force thereof, cf. however, the special provisions on the engagement of employees to present inventions.
IVR04010066
TRANSLATED FROM THE ICELANDIC
ACT
No. 72/2004
respecting Employees’ Inventions
CHAPTER I
General Provisions
Art.1
Definitions
The word "invention" denotes in the present Act merely an invention for which a Patent may be obtained in this Country.
The word "employee" denotes any person who is engaged in service with the authorities or a private party.
Art. 2
Deviation Act
The provisions of the present Act may be deviated from by means of agreements, unless there be unequivocal alternative stipulations in the present Act.
CHAPTER II
Employee’s and Employer’s Legal Status
Art. 3
Employee’s right to an invention
An employee is entitled to an invention which he presents to the extent that an alternative arrangement does not result from the present Act or other Laws.
Art. 4
Conveyance of right to employer
In case an employee has presented an invention being within the scope of his work an employer may require conveyance of the right covering the invention to himself, provided that utilization thereof be within the employer’s field of work. The employer holds the same right although the utilization of the invention be not within his field of work if the employee’s invention is linked to a specific task with which the employer has charged him.
The provisions of para. 1 also apply if more than a single employee, engaged for service with the employer, jointly submit an invention.
Art. 5
Notification of invention
In case an employee has presented an invention in accordance with Art. 4 he shall without undue delay give the employer notice in a verifiable manner of the invention, thus granting information about it so that the employer can assess the importance thereof.
Art. 6
Employer’s time to act, confidentiality and patent application
In case an employer desire to acquire the right to an invention in accordance with Art. 4 he shall advise the employee accordingly within three months of the receipt of notification as per Art. 5.
Prior to the respite expiring an employee is not permitted, cf. however para. 3, without the employer’s approval in writing, to advise others about the invention or dispose of it to the effect that it be possible to publish information on the invention or use it for the benefit of others. This does not apply, however, if the employer has declared in writing that he be not interested in the invention.
Prior to the end of the respite and after having satisfied his duty to give notice as per Art. 5 the employee may apply for a Patent in respect of the invention, but he shall, however, previously advise the employer thereof. The employee cannot in advance relinquish his right to apply for a Patent, unless the provisions of Art. 3 and 4 have been deviated from by means of an agreement between the employer and an employee who is engaged to present inventions.
Art. 7
Fair remuneration
In case an employer acquires the right to an employee’s invention under Art. 4 or on another basis the employee is entitled to fair remuneration, even though another arrangement has been negotiated, unless the value of the invention does not exceed that which may reasonably be expected of the employee to effect having regard for his overall terms.
Upon determining the remuneration special regard shall be had for the value of the invention and its importance for the employer’s activities, the employee’s terms of engagement and the employee’s contribution to the invention. If the employee is engaged to present inventions it may be negotiated that a fair remuneration for an invention be included solely in the employee’s terms of engagement.
A claim for remuneration lapses in ten years. The respite for obsolescence is counted as of the time the employer has indicated that he wish to acquire the invention. In other respects there apply the provisions of the Act respecting the Obsolescence of Indebtedness and Other Rights of Claim, as applicable.
Although an alternative arrangement has been negotiated agreements on remuneration may be amended upon the requirement of either party at a later stage when the circumstances having formed the basis have been altered to a considerable extent or other special circumstances recommend this. On the basis of the 1st sentence there shall, however, never be refunded moneys which an employee has accepted in accordance with a previous determination on remuneration.
Art. 8
End of service
An invention to which Art. 4 extends is deemed to have originated during a term of service if a Patent for it is applied for within six months as of the actual end of service, unless it may be considered likely that the invention has originated after the actual end of service.
Any accord between an employer and an employee limiting the employee’s right to arrange for the inventions which originate over a year after formal end of service is null and void.
CHAPTER III
Entry into Force
Art. 9
Entry into Force
The present Act enters into force on 1 January 2005. The Act applies solely to inventions which are presented following upon the entry into force of the Act. Invariable provisions of the Act shall apply vis-à-vis agreements concluded prior to the entry into force of the Act concerning inventions presented following upon the entry into force thereof, cf. however, the special provisions on the engagement of employees to present inventions.
Lög um uppfinningar starfsmanna 2004 nr. 72 7. júní
Ferill málsins á Alþingi. Frumvarp til laga.
Tóku gildi 1. janúar 2005.
I. kafli. Almenn ákvæði. 1. gr. Skilgreiningar. Orðið „uppfinning“ merkir í lögum þessum aðeins uppfinningu sem unnt er að fá
einkaleyfi fyrir hér á landi. Orðið „starfsmaður“ merkir hvern þann sem ráðinn er til starfa hjá hinu opinbera eða
einkaaðila. 2. gr. Frávíkjanleg lög. Víkja má frá ákvæðum laga þessara með samningum nema ótvírætt sé kveðið á um
annað í lögum þessum.
II. kafli. Réttarstaða starfsmanns og atvinnurekanda. 3. gr. Réttur starfsmanns til uppfinningar. Starfsmaður á rétt til uppfinningar sem hann kemur fram með að svo miklu leyti sem
annað leiðir eigi af lögum þessum eða öðrum lögum. 4. gr. Framsal réttar til atvinnurekanda. Ef starfsmaður hefur komið fram með uppfinningu sem er þáttur í starfi hans getur
atvinnurekandi krafist framsals réttarins yfir uppfinningunni til sín enda sé hagnýting hennar á starfssviði atvinnurekandans. Atvinnurekandinn hefur sama rétt þótt hagnýting uppfinningarinnar sé ekki á starfssviði atvinnurekandans ef uppfinning starfsmannsins tengist tilteknu verkefni sem atvinnurekandinn hefur falið honum.
Ákvæði 1. mgr. eiga einnig við ef fleiri starfsmenn en einn, sem ráðnir eru til starfa hjá atvinnurekanda, standa saman að uppfinningu.
5. gr. Tilkynning um uppfinningu. Hafi starfsmaður komið fram með uppfinningu skv. 4. gr. skal hann án ástæðulauss
dráttar tilkynna atvinnurekanda með sannanlegum hætti um uppfinninguna og gefa þannig upplýsingar um hana að atvinnurekandinn geti metið mikilvægi hennar.
6. gr. Biðtími atvinnurekanda, þagnarskylda og einkaleyfisumsókn. Óski atvinnurekandi eftir því að öðlast rétt til uppfinningar skv. 4. gr. skal hann skýra
starfsmanninum frá því innan þriggja mánaða frá móttöku tilkynningar skv. 5. gr. Áður en fresturinn rennur út er starfsmanni óheimilt, sbr. þó 3. mgr., án skriflegs
samþykkis atvinnurekandans, að upplýsa aðra um uppfinninguna eða ráðstafa henni þannig að unnt sé að birta upplýsingar um uppfinninguna eða nota hana í þágu annarra. Þetta gildir þó ekki ef atvinnurekandinn hefur lýst því yfir skriflega að hann hafi ekki áhuga á uppfinningunni.
Fyrir lok frestsins og eftir að hafa fullnægt tilkynningarskyldu sinni skv. 5. gr. getur starfsmaðurinn sótt um einkaleyfi fyrir uppfinningunni en hann skal þó áður tilkynna atvinnurekandanum það. Starfsmaðurinn getur ekki fyrir fram afsalað sér rétti til að sækja um einkaleyfi nema vikið hafi verið frá ákvæðum 3. og 4. gr. með samningi milli
atvinnurekanda og starfsmanns sem ráðinn er til að vinna að uppfinningum. 7. gr. Sanngjarnt endurgjald. Ef atvinnurekandi öðlast rétt til uppfinningar starfsmanns skv. 4. gr. eða á öðrum
grundvelli á starfsmaðurinn rétt á sanngjörnu endurgjaldi, jafnvel þótt um annað hafi verið samið, nema verðmæti uppfinningarinnar fari ekki fram úr því sem ætla má með sanngirni að starfsmanninum beri að inna af hendi með tilliti til heildarkjara hans.
Við ákvörðun endurgjalds skal sérstakt tillit tekið til verðmætis uppfinningarinnar og mikilvægis hennar fyrir starfsemi atvinnurekandans, ráðningarkjara starfsmanns og hlutdeildar starfsmannsins í uppfinningunni. Ef starfsmaðurinn er ráðinn til að vinna að uppfinningum má semja um að sanngjarnt endurgjald fyrir uppfinningu felist í ráðningarkjörum starfsmannsins einvörðungu.
Krafa um endurgjald fyrnist á tíu árum. Telst fyrningarfrestur frá þeim tíma er atvinnurekandinn hefur gefið til kynna að hann vilji öðlast uppfinninguna. Að öðru leyti gilda ákvæði laga um fyrningu skulda og annarra kröfuréttinda eftir því sem við á.
Jafnvel þótt um annað hafi verið samið má breyta samningum um endurgjald að kröfu annars aðila síðar þegar aðstæður þær sem lágu til grundvallar hafa breyst verulega eða aðrar sérstakar aðstæður mæla með því. Á grundvelli 1. málsl. skal þó aldrei endurgreiða fé sem starfsmaður hefur tekið við samkvæmt fyrri ákvörðun um endurgjald.
8. gr. Starfslok. Uppfinning sem 4. gr. tekur til telst hafa orðið til á starfstíma ef sótt er um einkaleyfi
fyrir henni innan sex mánaða frá raunverulegum starfslokum nema líkur megi leiða að því að uppfinningin hafi orðið til eftir raunveruleg starfslok.
Ógilt er hvert það samkomulag milli atvinnurekanda og starfsmanns er takmarkar rétt starfsmannsins til að ráðstafa þeim uppfinningum sem verða til meira en ári eftir formleg starfslok.
III. kafli. Gildistaka. 9. gr. Gildistaka. Lög þessi öðlast gildi 1. janúar 2005. Lögin taka einungis til uppfinninga sem koma
fram eftir gildistöku laganna. Ófrávíkjanleg ákvæði laganna skulu gilda gagnvart samningum sem gerðir eru fyrir gildistöku laganna um uppfinningar sem koma fram eftir gildistöku þeirra, sbr. þó sérákvæði um ráðningu starfsmanna til að vinna að uppfinningum.