Federal Patent Act: 35 U.S.C. - Federal legislation governing patent rights and inventions, crucial for determining ownership and protection of employee inventions

Federal Copyright Act: 17 U.S.C. - Legislation governing copyright protection, including 'work for hire' provisions relevant to employee-created works

Defend Trade Secrets Act: Federal law providing uniform protection for trade secrets and establishing remedies for misappropriation

National Labor Relations Act: Federal law protecting employees' rights in employment agreements and limiting certain restrictive provisions

State Trade Secret Laws: State-specific regulations protecting confidential business information and trade secrets, varying by jurisdiction

California Labor Code ยง 2870-2872: California state law limiting the scope of invention assignment agreements and protecting employees' rights to inventions created on their own time

Illinois Employee Patent Act: Illinois state law governing employee invention rights and limiting employer claims on certain types of inventions

Minnesota Statute ยง 181.78: Minnesota state law regulating invention assignment agreements and protecting employee rights to certain inventions

Washington RCW 49.44.140: Washington state law governing employment agreements related to inventions and protecting employee rights to independent inventions

Work for Hire Doctrine: Legal principle determining ownership of works created during employment, particularly relevant for copyright protection

Shop Rights Doctrine: Common law principle giving employers non-exclusive rights to use inventions created by employees using employer resources

Constitutional Patent and Copyright Clause: Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution establishing the basis for patent and copyright protection

First Amendment Considerations: Constitutional protections affecting the scope and enforceability of invention assignment agreements