As an engineer, everything I designed belongs to my employer. That’s the price you pay for a (semi) regular paycheck. My parents were for semi-conductor testing of microprocessors utilizing JTAG back in the 90’s, for microprocessor controlled digitally controlled voltage and current regulators integrated into test fixtures, novel designs for SATA connectors as well as designs utilized by the power supply you likely have on your desktop PC at home now.
Do the work, someone steals it. You defend it. Then you get laid off a few months later and rebuild your life. Being an engineer in industry is just not a stable profession, and IP theft is just a part of the turmoil that costs thousands of engineers to lose their jobs, homes and careers. Now I manage teams of engineers for the Goverment. Industry hates me, but the taxpayer loves me. My teams look for fraud and Goverment waste. But nothing we can do about IP theft.
Ugh. No edit function
Pardon the grammar.
Typing on a small screen and didn’t notice my spellcheck “helping”