human: What is governed by the German Act on Employees' Inventions?
assistant: The Act governs the rights and obligations of the employee and the employer where the employee makes an invention; particular rules apply for inventors at universities.																						
Generally an invention will be an	employment invention	where an employee makes an invention during the term of his employment contract, which		- is based on his duties, or		- is based on important experiences or work of the university, and		- an invention which is made by an employee of the university in the course of his work.																	
There is a requirement to notify these inventions to the university. They belong to the employer, the university, and can be registered by it, with an obligation to compensate the inventor. Other inventions, made in an unrelated field, may be free inventions but they too need to be notified to the university, so that the employer can check this, and they need to be offered to the employer for non-exclusive use. Students who do not have an employment contract are	free inventors	and can exploit their inventions freely.																							
Due to the amendment of section 42 of the German Act on Employees' Inventions, since 7 February 2002 the university can also claim the inventions of professors, lecturers and research assistants. Sine 7 February 2002 the inventors are entitled to 30% of the gross exploitation revenues.