Doesn't that violate the copyright law itself?

If you are paid, the contract states what you are paid for.

e.g. any patent I apply for will be the property of the company I work for.

These contract clauses are the result of people that has gotten a bright idea at work, gone home, scribbled a bit on a notepad and claimed the invention as their own eventhought it was madxe on company time. Working for a reasonable company, I am sure they would relinquish if I applied for a patent in woodworking, but anything elecronic, I doubt it.

Erik