Virginia Code 59.1-213: Mandatory contract terms
Every contract for invention development services shall set forth in boldface type of not less than ten-point size all of the following:
Terms Used In Virginia Code 59.1-213
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Contract for invention development services: means a contract by which an invention developer undertakes invention development services for a customer. See Virginia Code 59.1-208
- Customer: means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity that enters into a contract for invention development services with an invention developer. See Virginia Code 59.1-208
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Invention: means a discovery, process, machine, design, formulation, product, concept or idea or any combination thereof. See Virginia Code 59.1-208
- Invention developer: means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, and any agent, employee, officer, partner or independent contractor thereof, that advertises invention development services in media of general circulation or that contracts with customers procured as a result of such advertisement. See Virginia Code 59.1-208
- Invention development: means the evaluation, perfection, marketing, brokering, or promotion of an invention by an invention developer, including a patent search, preparation of a patent application, or any other act done by an invention developer for consideration toward the end of procuring or attempting to procure a license, buyer or patent for an invention, but shall not include those acts undertaken by attorneys in the practice of their profession, other persons duly registered to practice before the U. See Virginia Code 59.1-208
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
1. The terms and conditions of payment required by § 59.1-209.
2. A full, clear and concise description of the specific acts or services that the invention developer undertakes to perform for the customer; and, to the extent that the description of the specific acts or services affords discretion in the invention developer as to what specific acts or services will be performed, the invention developer shall be deemed a fiduciary.
3. A statement as to whether the invention developer undertakes to construct, sell or distribute one or more prototypes, models or devices embodying the customer’s invention.
4. The full name and principal place of business of the invention developer and the name and principal place of business of any parent, subsidiary or affiliated company that may engage in performing any of the invention development services.
5. The names and addresses of the persons and organizations, other than employees of the invention developer, that may perform any of the invention development services.
6. A statement of the fee charged, and the proposed specific application of the proceeds of such fee by the invention developer, including but not limited to the approximate portion that will be expended for services relating to patent matters, and all portions of the fee that represent sales commissions, incentive payments, finder’s fees, or any amounts intended to compensate any agent, employee, salesman or other person for procuring the customer.
7. A statement as to whether the invention developer intends to expend more for the invention development services than the cash fee charged the customer.
8. If any oral or written representation of estimated or projected customer earnings is given by the invention developer, a statement of such projection or estimation and a description of the data upon which it is based.
9. A statement as to whether or not the invention developer or any officer thereof is licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction or is a registered patent agent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
10. The name and address of the custodian of all records and correspondence pertaining to the contracted for invention development services, and a statement that the invention developer is required to maintain all records and correspondence relating to performance of the invention development services for that customer for a period of not less than two years after expiration of the term of the contract for invention development services, which records and correspondence will be made available to the customer or his representative for review and copying at the customer’s reasonable expense on the invention developer’s premises during normal business hours upon seven days’ written notice.
11. A statement setting forth a time schedule for performance of the invention development services, including an estimated date by which performance of the invention development services is expected to be completed.
1977, c. 649.