Inventions and Other Intellectual Property. Employee agrees that during the term of his employment by Employer, he will disclose to Employer (and no one else) all, and will not use for his own benefit or otherwise misappropriate any, ideas, methods, plans, developments or improvements known by him which relate directly or indirectly to A.M. Castle’s Business (as defined below), whether acquired by Employee before or during his employment by Employer. Employee acknowledges that all inventions, innovations, improvements, developments, methods, designs, analyses, drawings, reports, and similar or related information (whether or not patentable) that relate to the actual or anticipated business, research and development, or existing or future products or services of Employer and that are conceived, developed, or made by Employee while employed by Employer (“Work Product”) belong to Employer. Any copyrightable work falling within the definition of Work Product shall be deemed a “work made for hire” as such term is defined in 17 U.S.C. Section 101, and ownership of all right, title, and interest therein shall vest in Employer. To the extent that any Work Product is not deemed a “work made for hire” under applicable law, or all right, title, and interest in and to such Work Product has not automatically vested in Employer, Employee hereby irrevocably assigns, transfers, and conveys, to the full extent permitted by applicable law, all right, title, and interest in and to the Work Product on a worldwide basis to Employer without further consideration. Employee will promptly disclose such Work Product to Employer and perform all actions requested by Employer (whether during or after employment) to establish and confirm such ownership (including without limitation, assignments, consents, powers of attorney, and other instruments). Nothing in this Section 9 shall be construed as requiring any such communication where the idea, plan, method or development is lawfully protected from disclosure as a trade secret of a third party or by any other lawful prohibition against such communication.

Assignment of Inventions. All inventions, modifications, alterations, enhancements, betterments, ideas, designs, techniques, know-how or discoveries which are the result, directly or indirectly, from Employee’s employment and/or affiliation with the Company and/or the Employee’s access to Confidential Information (collectively “Inventions”) shall be the sole and exclusive property of the Company and are considered a “work made for hire" for the purposes of the Company’s rights under copyright and other laws. All copyrights, patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property rights associated with any Inventions, processes, or works of authorship developed or created by Employee during the course of performing Company work (collectively, “Work Product”) shall belong exclusively to the Company and shall, to the extent possible, be considered a “work made for hire.” Employee automatically assigns to the Company, at the time of creation of the Work Product, without any requirement of further consideration, any right, title, or interest Employee may have in such Work Product, including any copyrights or other intellectual property rights pertaining thereto. Upon request of the Company, and at its sole expense, Employee shall take such further actions, including execution and delivery of instruments of conveyance, as may be appropriate to give full and proper effect to such assignment.

Proprietary Information. During the term of employment, Employee shall disclose immediately to the Company all ideas, inventions, and business plans that Employee makes, conceives, discovers, develops, or reduces to practice at any time during the course of Employee’s employment with the Company, either alone or jointly with others, including but not limited to any including, but not limited to, any inventions, ideas, improvements, discoveries, methods, developments, designs, software, processes, products, and procedures (whether or not protectable upon application by patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, or other proprietary rights) (collectively, “Work Product”), that # relate directly or indirectly to the Company’s business or the business of any client or supplier of the Company or any of the products or services being developed, manufactured, sold, or otherwise provided by the Company or that may be used in relation therewith, or # result from any tasks assigned to Employee by the Company, or # result from the use of the premises or personal property (whether tangible or intangible) owned, leased, licensed, or otherwise contracted for by the Company. Employee agrees that any Work Product shall be the exclusive property of the Company and, if subject to copyright, shall be “work made for hire” under the meaning of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, as amended (the “Act”). If and to the extent the Work Product is found as a matter of law not to be “work made for hire” within the meaning of the Act, Employee hereby expressly assigns to the Company or its subsidiaries, as appropriate, its successors, assign, or nominees, Employee’s entire right, title, and interest in and to any Work Product, and all copies thereof and all intellectual property rights therein without further consideration, free from any claim, lien for balance due, or rights of retention thereto on the part of Employee. Employee shall communicate promptly and disclose to the Company, in such form as the Company requests, all information, details, and data pertaining to the Work Product. Whether during the term of this Agreement or after, Employee will, at the Company’s request and expense (including reimbursement of Employee’s expenses and, if Employee is no longer in the employ of the Company, reasonable per diem compensation to Employee), fully cooperate with the Company and its authorized agents in securing, enforcing, and otherwise protecting throughout the world the Company’s interests in such Work Product, including, without limitation, by # executing such documents evidencing the Company’s ownership and Employee’s assignment of the foregoing rights, as may be deemed necessary by the Company to grant or evidence such ownership and rights and # assisting in defending any opposition proceedings, petitions for revocation, or applications for similar revocation in respect of any such rights.