IDEA SUBMISSION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
GC Orthodontics ("GCO") designs and manufactures orthodontic products, and is the largest privately held manufacturer of orthodontic products in the world. In an effort to continue its tradition of providing high quality, innovative products, GCO welcomes and encourages your inventor idea submissions. The following information will help you understand GCO's idea submission process, and the policies and requirements for submitting your idea to GCO.
GCO carefully considers idea submissions that align with our business needs. To ensure that your idea submissions reach the appropriate department for review and receives adequate consideration, GCO requires that all invention submissions be submitted through our online submission system. Idea submissions submitted through any other means will not be accepted or reviewed.
All ideas submitted through the online system will be reviewed to determine whether the idea fits with GCO's business model and/or current business needs. If, after its preliminary review, GCO decides to further pursue your submitted idea, GCO will contact you.
Please note that in order to review and respond to idea submissions in a timely manner and to meet legal requirements of handling confidential information, we cannot accept confidential information at this phase in the process. The purpose of this policy is to avoid any issues regarding misappropriation or breach of confidentiality, and also to avoid any potential misunderstandings or disputes when GCO's products might seem similar to ideas submitted to GCO.
SUBMISSION POLICIES
The following terms shall apply to any idea submissions made to GCO:
1. Please only provide non-confidential and non-proprietary information. Submissions are made on a non-confidential basis. There will be no confidential relationship implied from any actions that GCO takes in reviewing or assessing any submitted material.
2. Submissions may not be compensated. Any initial submission will not be paid any compensation by GCO now or in the future. If GCO desires to purchase a submitted idea, GCO will contact the Submitter to discuss agreement for purchase. GCO will consider unpatented ideas; however, such ideas will need to be reduced to a patent or patent application before GCO will negotiate the purchase.
3. Use of Submitted Materials. GCO may use any portion of the submission for any purpose and is not obligated to return any submitted materials.
4. Review and Notification. GCO will notify the Submitter of its decision on whether to offer compensation for a submitted idea.
5. Confidential Product Development. GCO is not obligated to disclose any information regarding its product development activities in either the general or specific field to which the submitted idea pertains. GCO's product development is a confidential and ongoing process, and GCO may already be working on ideas that are similar or identical to the submission.
6. Priority of Agreement. This Agreement takes precedent over all prior negotiations or agreements by any agent or representative of GCO regarding the subject matter addressed in this Agreement. In case of any conflict between the provisions of this Agreement and any prior negotiations or agreements between the Submitter and GCO, the provisions of the Agreement shall prevail.