Company asking me to sign patent and get pain $1

[brady9111]

Wisconsin

Hello,

I've been asked to sign a patent by my company for some programming code I made to do a certain function within a different application. My company wants me to sign a patent and in return will pay me $1.
I understand that any work I do for my company they own, but why am I asked sign a patent. My concern is that the code I wrote is typical of my livlely hood. I am a programmer. Plus why a dollar? Seems like if the company thinks this is so important i should get more?

Thank you,

Brady

 

[CraigFL]

This is a very common practice. You have to remember that you may never have written that particular code if you weren't working at that company. The $1.00 payment is just to legally show that a transaction was made with you-- it does not imply the value of your contribution to the product.
Most companies these days have people sign agreements when they are hired that requires them to assign their patents over.

 

[brady9111]

You have to remember that you may never have written that particular code if you weren't working at that company.

Thank you for the reply,

I can say with certainty I would have written the code if I wasn't working at this company. Like I said I'm a programmer and this is what I do. The code is just a natural progression to get somewhere I'd eventually have to go.


Thanks again