Article 6 of the Saudi Patents Law

This article answers a common question: who owns an invention that a worker arrives at? It is an exception to the general rule in Article 5 that the document belongs to the person in whose name it is issued.

When does ownership belong to the employer? Unless the employment contract provides otherwise, it belongs to the employer in any of the following cases:

• The subject of protection results from performing a contract, or an obligation whose content is to devote effort to what was arrived at.
• Or the employer proves that the worker arrived at it only by using the capabilities, means or data that the job made available.

The worker's right to a reward (B): this does not prevent the worker's right to a special reward, which the parties agree on by mutual consent or which the Committee assesses in light of the circumstances of the employment contract and the economic importance of the subject of protection. Any agreement depriving the worker of this right is void.

After leaving service (C): if the worker files the application for protection within two years of the date of leaving service, the application is treated as if it were made during service, so the foregoing provisions apply to it.

Government bodies (D): these provisions also apply to workers in government bodies.

National security (E): if the subject of protection relates to national security, the provisions set by the Implementing Regulations apply.

Someone who believes that their subject of protection was taken from them and filed in another person's name may request a transfer of ownership under Article 7. In a dispute with an employer over ownership of an invention or the amount of the reward, consult a lawyer specializing in intellectual property and patents.