There have been a few news reports of a suit between the University of Missouri and Galen J. Suppes, a professor of chemical engineering, and William R. Sutterlin, a former graduate teaching assistant and post-doctoral fellow. The university has a broad contractual claim to ownership of patents for inventions created by its employees, including those created while working for the University but not within the scope of the employee’s duties. The University claims that Suppes and Sutterlin did not disclose patents they filed and improperly licensed them.
Counts are for declaration of ownership of patents, including undisclosed ones, that there was an automatic assignment of patents to the University, breach of contract, tortious interference with business relationships, breach of duty of loyalty, for an accounting, and for specific performance of contractual obligations to account for the patents and revenue generated.
Complaint below, Suppes version of events in the articles linked above.
Univ. of Missour vl. Suppes Complaint
© 2009 Pamela Chestek
