Intellectual Property Protection

Kohler Energy’s Commitment

At Kohler Energy, because we live on the leading edge of design and technology, our intellectual property (IP) is one of our greatest assets. Our IP is key to our competitive advantage and supports our mission of creating a higher level of gracious living for those who are touched by our products and services.

Our Role

As associates, we commit to protecting our IP and other confidential information and expect our business partners to do the same. Likewise, we only use other companies’ IP with proper authorization. To support our commitment, we:

Do not disclose or use IP or other confidential information except as required by our position at Kohler Energy;

Will not take Kohler Energy IP or confidential information at any time, including upon leaving the Company;

Follow all internal procedures and guidelines when implementing new features, aesthetics, or functionality into products under development and when naming new products, features, or services; and

Immediately report confirmed or suspected exposure of Kohler Energy IP or confidential information to the proper internal contacts.

Our obligation to protect IP remains even after we end our employment at Kohler Energy.

The Scenario

An engineering team worked for a year on breakthrough technology, with a significant amount of money invested in R&D. During that time, an associate from the product team lost their laptop at an industry trade show. Two months before the product launch, a competitor introduced breakthrough technology.

Our Stance

Exposing intellectual property can ruin a brand’s reputation, give the competition an unwarranted competitive edge, and potentially demoralize the associates of the Company. Protecting IP and confidential information must be a top priority. If this type of information is lost or unintentionally exposed, immediately contact Legal.