PIIA Agreement: Templates & More

A Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement (PIIA) is  an agreement between an employer and employee that defines what information and inventions created by the employee are considered proprietary to the employer.

The minimum components of a PIIA should include:

• Which information and inventions are considered proprietary
• How the employee will keep this information confidential
• What will happen to the information and inventions if the employee leaves the company
  

Proprietary information may include, among other things:

• Trade secrets
• Business plans
• Customer lists
  

Proprietary inventions may include, among other things:

• Patents
• Copyrights
  

The agreement should specify how the employee will keep this information confidential. The agreement should also specify what will happen to the information and inventions if the employee leaves the company. The employee may be required to return all proprietary information and inventions to the employer or destroy all copies of such information. The employee may also be prohibited from disclosing or using any proprietary information or invention for any purpose outside of the active engagement with the employer.