The "fiduciary duty" issue is a straw man as phrased. It is clear that an employee whose duties do not include product development can in fact invent and patent something that is complementary to the company's other products. In this instance it appears quite clear that the employee in question had no product development responsibilities, figured out a better way to package and transport the company's primary product (petri dishes loaded and unloaded) and patented the concept even while magnanimously granting an exclusive license to the company. Real Investors should be thrilled with that development, not whining about imaginary scenarios as are certain fake investors with the intent of causing confusion and discord.