This Confidentiality & IP Rights Employment Offer Letter Agreement is a legally sound, ready-to-use template that clearly sets out the obligations of a new employee with respect to confidential information and ownership of intellectual property created during their employment.
What You Get in This Agreement
- A complete offer letter structure, including position, duties, compensation, and benefits
- Detailed confidentiality obligations for protecting trade secrets, client data, business plans, financial info, and more
- Strong intellectual property (IP) rights clauses ensuring that inventions, works, and innovations developed during employment and relevant to the company become company property
- Provisions for the return of company property at termination
- Clear terms regarding termination (at-will vs fixed term)
- Entire-agreement clause, to unify this with any related policies
Who This Is For
- Employers or HR managers who want a solid confidentiality & IP agreement as part of the onboarding process
- Small to medium enterprises launching new roles involving R&D, design, software, or proprietary business methods
- Professionals (e.g. designers, software engineers, consultants) who are being offered employment and want to understand their obligations in advance
How to Use It
- Download the document file.
- Fill in your company name, location, supervisor, compensation, start date, etc.
- Review applicable IP laws in your jurisdiction & adjust as needed (e.g., for inventions, software, patentable works).
- Share with new employee; allow time for them to review (perhaps with counsel) before signature.
- Keep a fully signed copy in the employee’s personnel file.
Why It Matters
A strong confidentiality & IP rights agreement protects the investments your company makes in innovation, research, trade secrets, and client relationships. It also sets clear expectations so that both employee and employer understand their rights and responsibilities from Day 1. Having this type of agreement in place reduces risk of disputes, misappropriation, or misunderstandings later on.
