How do I keep departing (or current) employees from taking and/or using company materials and ideas?

Question

I am in a creative field. I have turn over of employees from time to time. Recently, a former employee had copies some files that contained a unique design we had been working on. It was the company's work product. We invested time, material and creative capital in its development.... from inception. He is currently marketing it as his own design. I understand copyright and trademark answers the ultimate question. What I am looking for is some sort of "work product agreement" I can have employees sign upon hire... does anyone know of a generic document I can use?

Answer 1

try contacting your lawyer and you both can write out a contract for employees to sign. working with a lawyer should insure that there are no loopholes and everything you want covered is covered.

Answer 2

You can, as a condition of employment, make employees sign a contract stating that anything they produce while working for you is the company's property.