Joe Swartz, an Employee of Acme Company, Worked for Months

question 52

Essay

Joe Swartz, an employee of Acme Company, worked for months during company time and used Acme's equipment to develop an idea that he had been nurturing. Finally, the idea came to fruition. Swartz's employer laid claim to the invention on the grounds that the firm's equipment had been utilized on company time. Swartz had obtained a patent on the invention and claimed that his employer had no rights to the invention at all. Who is right? How could an employer guard against such arguments in the future?

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Definitions:

Federal Income Tax

The charge imposed by the U.S. government on the yearly income of individuals, businesses, trusts, and other legal bodies.

FICA-OASDI

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act's component for Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance, a payroll tax that funds Social Security.