Leaving: Miscellaneous: Patents
From HPAlumnipedia
...Patents Pending
HPAlumnipedia > Leaving > Miscellaneous > Patents
Margaret Fleck, Feb 2004:
Before you lose Portal access, check the status of any IP disclosures on the Innovan web site. This new system sometimes holds onto incentive payments waiting for you to explicitly authorize it to pay them out to you.
Alan Silverstein, Feb 2007:
If you have any patent applications pending with HP when you leave, you've already signed over the rights to the company, and that's probably the last you'll ever hear of them...
Except, if a patent is granted (allowed), with your name on it as an inventor (never mind that HP holds the rights), you can expect to receive, fairly soon afterward, offers from one or more companies to sell you patent plaques and other ego trinkets. At least if your mailing address on the patent hasn't changed, anyway. These offers are not related to HP, but are based on public records.
You can search the USPTO (Patent and Trademark Office) website by name, patent number, etc. HP policy is, or at least was, that bonuses (awards) were paid upon submission of invention disclosures, and more significant bonuses upon filing of a patent application. That was the end of employee recognition, except that the company footed the bill (not cheap, about $60 I think) for a nice plaque when the patent was granted.
Alan Silverstein, May 2007:
As of now, if you are retired or laid off (that is, departed on good terms), you can still email to intellect.property@hp.com to request a free patent plaque after your patent is granted.
