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Ontario-Specific

IP Assignment Agreement for Ontario Businesses

Ensure your company owns all intellectual property created by contractors and employees with an IP assignment built for Canadian law. Covers copyright, patents, trade secrets, and moral rights waivers.

Province-specific for Ontario
Updated when laws change
One-time payment, no subscription
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What happens after checkout: Answer a short questionnaire, pay once, and your customized ip assignment agreement is available immediately as an editable Word (.docx) file in your dashboard.

What's included

Full assignment of all IP rights to the company

Copyright assignment (including software and creative works)

Patent rights assignment and cooperation obligations

Trade secret and confidential information provisions

Moral rights waiver (critical for Canadian copyright law)

Prior IP carve-out provisions

Work-for-hire language for contractor engagements

Ontario and federal governing law

Why Ontario-specific matters

Generic “Canadian” templates from LawDepot don't account for Ontario's unique employment laws. Our ip assignment agreement includes:

Moral rights waiver — unique requirement under Canadian Copyright Act

Assignment of future IP created during the engagement

Prior IP schedule to protect pre-existing contractor IP

Federal patent cooperation obligations

Software and algorithm IP assignment language

Trade secret protection under Canadian common law

Governing law clause specifying Ontario and federal law

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need an IP assignment agreement in Canada?

Under Canadian copyright law, contractors own the IP they create unless there's a written assignment. Unlike the US work-for-hire doctrine, Canadian law doesn't automatically transfer contractor IP to clients. Without an IP assignment, your contractor could own your product's code.

What are moral rights and why do I need a waiver?

Canadian copyright law gives creators 'moral rights' — the right to be credited and to prevent modifications they find objectionable. These rights can't be assigned, only waived. Our template includes a moral rights waiver so you can modify and use the work without restriction.

Should I use this for employees too?

Yes. While employment law provides some IP protection for employers, a written IP assignment is clearer and more enforceable. Our template works for both employees and contractors, with appropriate language for each.

What if the contractor has prior IP they want to keep?

Our template includes a 'Prior IP Schedule' where contractors can list IP they created before the engagement that should be excluded from the assignment. This protects both parties and prevents disputes over pre-existing work.

How is this different from a generic IP assignment?

Generic IP assignments often miss the Canadian moral rights waiver requirement — a critical omission that can leave you unable to modify work you've paid for. Our template is built for Canadian law and includes all required elements.

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After checkout, your customized .docx file is available immediately in your dashboard.

IP Assignment Agreement — Also Available in Other Provinces

Each province has different legal requirements. Select your province to see the correct version.