Lack of consistency in reward for inventor employees

There is a lack of consistency in reward and recognition for employees who invent patentable innovations, according to research by law firm CMS.

Its pan-European survey Employee inventor rewards also found:

• 57% of respondents offer a financial reward upon the granting of patents.
• 50% of respondents reward inventors upon the initial disclosure of inventions.
• 40% of respondents said their organisation had been in dispute with an employee concerning inventor rewards.
• Many employers offer significant financial rewards upon both the filing of patent applications and the grant of patents, there is little consistency in terms of the discretionary amounts offered to employees.
• Non-monetary incentives such as awards or certificates were not considered a significant management tool.

Jeremy Morton, an intellectual property partner at CMS (pictured), said: “As is the case with other European countries, UK-based employers should think about rewarding employees not just financially, but also through non-monetary rewards and recognition.”

“It is in the interests of all [organisations] to encourage employees to get inventing, not least to take advantage of the new Patent Box scheme which means lower corporation tax for innovative companies.”