The law in question is the Arbeitnehmererfindungsgesetz (Employee Invention law). Also, there are a few subtleties:
a) You have to do that if you intend to charge money for the invention during the time of your contract. You can quit and then start using your invention. Just don't do it while your contract is running (this avoids you building a competition to your employer).
b) The employer has to immediately patent or copyright the work and give you a compensation for licensing it.
a) You have to do that if you intend to charge money for the invention during the time of your contract. You can quit and then start using your invention. Just don't do it while your contract is running (this avoids you building a competition to your employer). b) The employer has to immediately patent or copyright the work and give you a compensation for licensing it.
This is really rather a forced license contract.