Can A Company Patent Something That An Employee Built Entirely In Their Free Time?
Location: California. I’m a mechanical engineer at a mid-sized robotics startup. About a year ago, I started building a small autonomous drone at home , totally separate from work, using my own tools, parts, and money. It was just a side hobby that turned into a functioning prototype. A few weeks ago, I casually mentioned it during lunch, and my manager got weirdly interested. Now HR emailed me asking for “documentation related to the independent project” because they want to “assess potential overlap with company IP.”The problem is, the company works on industrial robots, not drones. My design doesn’t share any code, hardware, or concept with company projects. But our employment contracts include a line about “inventions related to company interests,” which they can claim ownership of even if created off-hours. I never thought a flying drone could fall under that category. I haven’t shared the plans or shown them the actual prototype, but the fact that they’re asking for it makes me nervous. Could they actually take ownership of something I built completely on my own time, with no company resources? Should I lawyer up before I even reply to HR or just ignore it until they push harder?
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