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An employee or contractor made the invention. Who owns it?
Ownership, inventorship and the paperwork that decides both.
A promise to assign is weaker than an assignment.
It is a contractual obligation, enforceable against the person - but it does not itself move title, and it depends on them being available and willing.
- Obtain a confirmatory assignment now, while the relationship is good.
- Amend the template so future agreements contain a present assignment.
- Record every assignment you obtain.
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This is educational guidance, not personalised legal advice. It cannot see your documents, your dates or the prior art, and those are usually what decide the answer. Use it to understand the question, then take advice on your own facts.
Not sure whether this applies to your invention?
The honest answer usually needs someone to look at your actual disclosure, your timeline and the prior art. That is a conversation, not an article.